News
Health Ministry quashes rumours about removal of mask mandate
By Rathindra Kuruwita
Reports that the Ministry of Health was considering the removal of the mask mandate were baseless, Medical Technical Services Director Dr. Anwar Hamdani told the media yesterday.
Dr. Hamdani said some people were spreading rumours that mask mandates would be removed soon. However, neither the government nor the Health Ministry had even thought of that, he said.
“We can’t even think of such a decision. The booster roll-out is still going slow,” he said. The Sri Lankan health officials followed the example and recommendation of the World Health Organization on such matters, he said.
Dr. Hamdani said that some foreign countries had decided that masks would no longer be mandatory. He said that such decisions were based on the number of people who had taken the vaccines and other considerations.
“In our case, the number of COVID related deaths had increased by 17% compared to the beginning of the year. The number of COVID cases who required oxygen and had been admitted to ICUs had increased significantly.
Dr. Hamdani said that people should get the booster shot as soon as possible and follow health guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID. Despite the best efforts of health officials only about six million people had so far taken the booster shot.
“People are not taking the booster due to various myths and rumours. People should get the booster as soon as possible. They should also adhere to health guidelines. COVID may have many variants but the way all variants spread is the same,” he said.
Meanwhile Director General of Health Services Dr. Asela Gunawardena said that removing of mask mandates would be in the last phase of the government’s campaign against the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The masks will be removed in the end. We need to give booster doses to 14.1 million people. We have not even reached half of that. If we can give the booster to all, we can ensure some sort of herd immunity. If more people take the booster, we can relax more,” he said.
Considering the compliance of the Cooperative Societies’ operations with the concurrent socio – economic circumstances as well as the changes in the common law, the requirement of amending the Cooperative Employees Commission Act No. 12 of 1972 has been recognized.
A fundamental draft including proposed amendments based on the experience gained by that Commission as well as the opinions and proposals of Cooperative societies, their director board members, cooperative employees and other interested parties has been prepared.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative development to provide instructions to the Legal draftsman to prepare a draft bill to amend the Cooperative Employees Commission Act No. 12 0f 1972, based on the said fundamental draft.
Latest News
Dilki Wathsala Marambage appointed as Director General of the Department of Technical Education and Training
The Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the proposal forwarded by the Prime Minister in her capacity as the Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education to appoint Mrs. Dilki Wathsala Marambage to the post of Director General of the Department of Technical Education and Training.
Nearly 1,500 acres of land in the Galgamuwa Divisional Secretariat Division of the Kurunegala District, have been used by a number of private businesses for economic crop cultivation, mineral extraction, and excavation of soil.
Several environmental organizations had filed a petition before the Supreme Court requesting the suspention of the activities, stating that environmental damages have been caused due to the forest clearings carried out there and that the human-elephant conflict in the North Western Province has been aggravated.
In delivering its judgment regarding the said petition, the Supreme Court has ordered that the entire area, including residual forest parts, incorporating the extent of 55 hectares of lands cleared in that manner, should be declared as a sanctuary or an elephant management reserve under Section 2(2) of the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance.
According to the said order, a joint survey conducted by the Survey Department and the Department of Wildlife Conservation has identified an extent of 682 hectares of land to
be declared as a wildlife sanctuary.
Accordingly, with the agreement of the Irrigation Department, the Cabinet has approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Environment to declare the said land area of 682 hectares as the Naakolagane Sanctuary under the provisions of the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance, incorporating the maximum water limit of the nearby Palukadawala Tank.
Cooperative Employees Commission Act No. 12 of 1972 to be amended
Dilki Wathsala Marambage appointed as Director General of the Department of Technical Education and Training
Declaration of Naakolagane Sanctuary under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance
Cabinet approves transfer and maintenance of selected roads presently under PC’s and Local Authorities to the RDA
Obtaining financial facilities for the Water Supply and Sanitation Improvement Program (Sub-program 2) from the ADB
Delegation from Korean Volunteer Association meet Secretary to the President
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
Features6 days agoThe Sri Lankan who made Scottish history
-
Sports6 days agoNissanka absence opens door for Sri Lanka’s young guns
-
News5 days agoNDB fraud Rs 60mn more than reported
-
News7 days agoGnansara Thera to be assigned to prison printing section: Officials
-
News5 days agoRemoving monk’s robes matter for Sangha to decide: Mahanayake Theras
-
News7 days agoOIC of FCID summoned before Maligakanda Magistrate
-
Features6 days agoFuture of Sri Lanka’s state university system: Should it be shut down and reopened?
-
News6 days agoShiranthi R remanded until 13 Oct.