News

Govt. eases restrictions on foreigners as Covid-19 rips through country

Published

5 years ago

2021/05/17

Sahan Weerasooriya

DGHS, IGP informed of SLTDA decision

By Shamindra Ferdinando

In what many thought was a shocking decision, the Tourism Ministry yesterday (16) declared that tourists would be able to travel across the country despite movement restrictions in force since last Thursday (14) to control the rapid spread of Covid-19.

Tourism Ministry, in a statement issued yesterday afternoon (16) quoted Director General of Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Dhammika Wijesinhe as having said that the foreigners in the country could travel in what she called a bio bubble. Director General of Health Services (DGHS) Dr Asela Gunawardena and IGP C.D. Wickremaratne had been informed of the arrangements, she said.

The announcement was made as the government struggled to cope with an alarming increase in the number of Covid-19 positive cases as well as deaths. It came close on the heels of Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga declaring that the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) wouldn’t be closed. When The Island sought an explanation from the Tourism Ministry how such a decision was taken regardless of tough quarantine laws and health guidelines in place to control the spread of rampaging Covid-19 epidemic, an authoritative official said that the Ministry issued a statement received from the SLTDA.

DG Wijesinghe said that those individuals and firms responsible for bringing in tourists had been instructed to strictly follow health guidelines or face the consequences.

Declaring that tourism has been categorized as an export industry, DG Wijesinghe said that the SLTDA stepped in the wake of complaints that foreigners experienced difficulties as a result of travel restrictions imposed in the wake of the latest Covid-19 eruption.

The Tourism Ministry further quoted the official as having stressed that arrangements were now in place to ensure tourists could travel in a bio bubble without hindrance.

Police headquarters said that after the lifting of ‘lockdown’ on Monday at 4 am, travel restrictions from 11 pm to 4 am on a daily basis during May would continue.

GMOF (Government Medical Officers’ Forum) spokesperson Dr. Rukshan Bellana said that the government seemed hell-bent on causing further chaos. Having allowed influential parties to bring in foreigners for quarantine in the country, the government caused the deterioration and now restrictions were done away at the risk of further intensification of the spread of the virus.

Dr. Bellana recalled how the government permitted the England cricket tour of Sri Lanka to go ahead in January this year at a time the UK was in a grave crisis over a new deadlier variant of Covid-19 spreading there and also allowed groups of Ukrainians in when Ukraine was in lockdown.

Responding to another query, Dr. Bellana pointed out that the shocking declaration that restrictions would not apply to foreigners meant that the government was yet to comprehend the gravity of the situation.

Dr. Bellana said that the government seemed to be blind to the fact that the death toll was on the verge of passing 1,000 and the cases nearing 150,000. If those at the helm of administration really believed tourists could move across the country safely in bio bubbles let them create the same for others, Dr. Bellana said.

According to the GMOF, the government was pulling in different directions in the absence of a cohesive strategy to meet the daunting Covid-19 challenge. The failure to understand the need to apply the same set of quarantine laws and health guidelines to all was one of the primary reasons for the deterioration of the problem. Dr. Bellana asked how the government did away with restrictions while the doctors reported the detection of at least six Covid-19 variants.

Dr. Bellana said that he expected experts would oppose the government’s short-sighted policies.

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News

Powerful explosions at Syrian army site near Aleppo injure at least four

Published

12 mins ago

2026/09/21

Priyan

A screengrab from a video showing a large explosion in al-Eis, a town in northern Syria, on September 21, 2026 [Al Jazeera]

Powerful explosions at a weapons depot in northern Syria have injured at least four people, according to state media, with officials urging the public to stay away from the site.

The explosions occurred early on Monday at a Syrian army site in the vicinity of the town of al-Eis, south of the city of Aleppo, the state-run SANA news agency reported.

The cause of the explosions was not immediately clear.

Faisal Mohammad Ali, the head of civil defence operations in Aleppo, told SANA that rescuers have evacuated four injured people from the site.

Al Jazeera’s Obaida Hitto, reporting from Aleppo, said a series of blasts has followed the initial explosion.

“The explosions are audible from a few kilometres away from the site. We have now seen a series of ambulances and fire trucks enter towards the position,” he reported.

Aleppo Governor Azzam al-Gharib urged residents not to leave their homes for the time being, adding that “hospitals, ambulance and emergency teams are on full alert”.

Roads leading to the site of the explosions were closed “to ensure the safety of civilians”, Aleppo’s Internal Security Command said.

A resident of Aleppo’s Hamdaniyeh neighbourhood told the AFP news agency that they heard a “huge explosion” and when they went up to the roof could see “large flames in the distance”.

Several such blasts have previously occurred in Syria, which is emerging from more than a decade of civil war following the toppling of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in late 2024.

An explosion of unknown origin killed 11 people at a military site in the eastern province of Deir Az Zor on Friday.

[Aljazeera]

News

Government committed to ensuring the rights of children with disabilities and providing equal opportunities – PM

Published

30 mins ago

2026/09/21

Priyan

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that having a disability or other special needs should never be a barrier to a child’s future, and that the Government is committed to building an inclusive society where everyone has equal opportunities without barriers, while giving due recognition to the true abilities and talents of every child.The Prime Minister made these remarks at a ceremony held at Temple Trees on Sunday [September 20] to recognise Girl Guides who received the “Blue All Round Cord”, the highest award of the Differently Abled Branch of the Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association.

Speaking further, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated:

“Having a disability or other special needs should never be allowed to become a barrier to a child’s future. Our Government is fully committed to building a society where everyone has equal opportunities without barriers, while giving priority to the true abilities and talents of children.

We have already initiated a number of programmes aimed at empowering persons with disabilities. Under the first phase, arrangements have been made through the President’s Fund to provide a special allowance of Rs. 100,000 each to university students with disabilities who are pursuing higher education.

Furthermore, more than Rs. 37.4 billion has been allocated for persons with disabilities and their families. An allocation of Rs. 10 million has also been provided to the relevant Ministry to formulate a National Policy on Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities and to implement community-level programmes.

In addition, under the three-year hostel development project covering 16,000 university students, existing facilities are being upgraded and new facilities developed to ensure that all amenities are accessible and convenient for students with disabilities as well.

We have also initiated programmes to provide assistive technological devices and digital educational materials for children with disabilities. We are taking steps to remove barriers faced by students with disabilities in accessing university education as well as vocational and tertiary education, and to provide all necessary facilities to enable them to pursue their education.

One of the concerns and fears in the hearts of many parents is: ’What will happen to our children when we are no longer there?’ Therefore, one of our foremost responsibilities is to create the necessary environment for children with disabilities to develop the skills and economic foundation required to lead independent lives.

A Thriving Nation and a Beautiful county are not defined solely by economic development. Lives become better when we build a society that cares for, accepts and respects everyone.

Success is not determined by the barriers we have to face; rather, it is determined by the courage with which we confront those barriers.

All of society has much to learn from you about empathy, self-confidence and courage.”

The event was attended by President of the Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association Mrs. Swarnika Pitigala, Chief Commissioner Dr. Kusuntha Herath, Deputy Chief Commissioner Mrs. Nirmali Williams, Assistant Commissioner Ms. Naduni Wickramathunga, parents of the children and others.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]

News

New Constitution to decide fate of executive presidency, PCs: NPP

Published

4 hours ago

2026/09/21

Thilina Walpola

By PRIYAN DE SILVA

The government’s position on the abolition of the Executive Presidency and the future of the Provincial Council system will be set out in a new Constitution, NPP General Secretary Dr. Nihal Abeysinghe has said.

Abeysinghe made the remarks when a delegation from the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) met him at the NPP headquarters in Pelawatte on Friday evening. Former NPP General Secretary and MP Laxman Nipunarachchi also participated in the discussion.

Dr. Abeysinghe said the JVP, the main constituent of the NPP, had consistently advocated the abolition of the Executive Presidency and that it was also a key pledge in the NPP election manifesto.

Responding to calls for the Provincial Council elections to be held under the existing electoral system, Nipunarachchi said the system was being changed to introduce the new electoral system.

He stressed that conducting the elections under the old system was therefore not acceptable.

CaFFE Executive Director Manas Makeen suggested that the Election Commission should be vested with adequate financial authority to ensure that elections are held on time.

Dr. Abeysinghe also requested CaFFE and other stakeholders to submit any proposals for constitutional amendments for consideration.

The NPP made the abolition of Sri Lanka’s executive presidency and the adoption of a new Constitution a central constitutional pledge in its 2024 presidential election manifesto, A Thriving Nation, A Beautiful Life. It promised to draft and enact a new Constitution after public discussion and a referendum, abolish the executive presidency and replace it with a president without executive powers elected by Parliament, while introducing a new parliamentary electoral system.

However, in June 2026, Public Administration Minister Chandana Abayaratne was quoted by the media as having said that although this remained an electoral promise, the Government did not regard it as a priority at that point, saying other constitutional and electoral reforms were being considered first.

The Opposition has accused the goverment of trying to retain the executive presidency by delaying the constitution making project.