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Dr. Hamdani reports significant drop in new cases

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By Rathindra Kuruwita

The lockdown has had a positive impact on COVID control, Medical Technical Services Director Dr. Anwar Hamdani said yesterday. He said that a few weeks back close to 5,000 new cases had been reported daily, but now the number had dropped to below 3,000.

“You can imagine the impact 5,000 new cases a day was having on the health sector capacity. Now, we have to think of keeping this trend going. It’s easy to hit the target, but we need the cooperation of all to maintain the gains we have made,” he said.

Dr. Hamdani said in Sri Lanka, both public and private sector, had 39,322 beds to treat COVID-19 patients in 264 centres. 70% of these beds were now full, but not too long ago 97% of those beds were occupied, he said.

“A few weeks ago, there were 1,040 patients who needed oxygen, now that number has dropped to 802. However, we must not think that the trend will continue if we stop all the measures we are taking now. If people start taking precautions, we can maintain this,” he said.

Dr. Hamdani said that although the number of tests conducted had dropped, those who were suspected to have COVID-19 and those in high-risk areas were being tested. Even in developed nations testing had been reduced, he said.

“We have to make use of the resources available in the optimal manner. We have a successful vaccination drive going, we must identify people and we have to treat them. Before vaccines arrived, we could deploy more people for testing but now things have changed. We are making all these decisions based on science,” he said.

Commenting on the number of deaths due to COVID, Dr. Hamdani said that the positive effect of the lockdown was still not reflected in the death tally. Usually, a person who dies from COVID-19 passes away after a few weeks in hospital, he said.

“In a few weeks the number of deaths will drop and with vaccinations increasing, the number of deaths will further decrease as time goes by,” he said.



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Sri Lanka’s foreign reserves up by USD 2billion over the past year – Acting Finance Minister

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Acting Finance Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya during a press conference held today (21) at the Presidential Media Center, focusing on the theme of ‘Collective Path to a Stable Country’ said that over the past year, the government successfully increased the country’s foreign reserves from 1.8 billion dollars to 3.8 billion dollars.

He added that in August 2022, the exchange rate stood at Rs. 361 per dollar, but by August 2023, one dollar could be acquired for Rs. 321. This shift is not the result of artificial control but rather a reflection of the rupee’s value adjusting in response to supply and demand for the dollar, which holds significant economic importance.

The interest rate for deposits, previously at 14% in 2022, has been lowered to 11%, while the loan interest rate, previously at 15.5%, has been reduced to 12% this year. Notably, last year, the primary account deficit was Rs. -247 billion, but this year it has turned into a surplus of Rs. 27 billion. This marks the first surplus in the primary account balance in over 40 years.

Tourist arrivals, which numbered 496,430 in 2022, have surged to 904,318 during the first two quarters of this year. Equally impressive is the growth in tourism earnings, which rose from 832.6 million US dollars in 2022 to 1,304.5 million US dollars in the first two quarters of this year, reflecting a remarkable 56.7% increase compared to the previous year.

In the past year, the amount of money remitted by Sri Lankans living abroad to Sri Lanka has surged from 2,214.8 million US dollars to 3,862.7 million US dollars this year, marking a remarkable 74.4% increase according to data from the Ministry of Finance.

On August 1, 2022, the QR code system was introduced as a measure to manage petroleum demand due to foreign exchange shortages. This led to a significant disparity between normal demand and supply, resulting in a notable increase in diesel consumption by 28% and petrol consumption by 83% in June 2023, when the QR system was partially relaxed. However, as of September 1, the QR code system, which directly impacts economic growth, has been completely lifted.

Upon assuming office, President Ranil Wickremesinghe faced a daunting challenge of addressing a 14-hour power outage, which had a direct impact on the economy. Presently, the government ensures a continuous and stable electricity supply to the population.

As of August 23, 2023, there were 1467 imported goods banned due to foreign exchange shortages. Currently, the ban applies to only 279 items. Furthermore, the import of vehicles, which had been halted in 2020, now includes buses and trucks for public transport.

In April 2022, the country faced difficulties in meeting its debt obligations. However, the government has since secured the first installment under the International Monetary Fund’s Extended Credit Scheme, contributing to stabilizing the country’s economy compared to the previous year.

(PMC)

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President Wickremesinghe meets US President Joe Biden in New York

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President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden hosted President Ranil Wickremesinghe and first lady Maithri Wickremesinghe for dinner on Thursday

President Joe Biden of the United States and President Ranil Wickremesinghe engaged in a cordial meeting  in New York on Thursday (20).

The high-profile meeting took place amidst a lavish dinner hosted by President Biden, for all the heads of state who had participated in the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

 

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Ministerial Consultative Committee unanimously consent to canceling the nominations submitted for the Local Government Elections

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The Ministerial Consultative Committee on Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils & Local Government chaired by  Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena as well as the Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government  unanimously consented to cancel the nominations submitted for the Local Government Elections given that those who have submitted nominations have faced great difficulties due to the postponement of the elections.

 

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