Opinion

Lift ‘Lockdown’ – Open economic activities

Published

4 years ago

2021/09/22

by Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam
Former Chief Medical Officer of Health, Colombo

Most citizens will wonder why I am asking for the lifting of the so-called ‘Lockdown’ now when Health Authorities continue to reiterate that we are not yet out of the woods. Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, says the World Health Organization (WHO). Even during the current COVID-19 pandemic, while we are striving to eliminate this dreaded disease, it is a valid statement: It is ‘Health for all’ and not only for a group of people in our society, divided by religion, race, caste and societal status.

I had mentioned in a previous letter that a week-long island-wide curfew would have met the same target we have achieved with this type of Lockdown, during the past month or so. This Lockdown will not severely affect government servants, as most of them are at home, and every month, whether they work or not, their salary gets deposited in their bank accounts. In the private sector, a large number who worked in smaller enterprises have lost their jobs in the last two years. Similarly, a large number of vendors and small business holders have lost their income and closed down their businesses or are gasping for breath after 18 months of agony, trying to survive. What about the daily wage earners? Most of them may not be recipients of any social benefit and may not have any savings; to them, surviving is out of the question if this lockdown continues, as they are the people who suffer most from these closures. Some have resorted to begging by the roadside, others are going from house to house asking whether there are any household chores they could do for a few hundred rupees; but who wants to invite anyone to their homes these days!

I believe that except for the rich and upper-middle-class, all the others in this country have suffered a lot during the last one and half years, and they make up the vast majority of this country. Consequently, the physical, social and mental wellbeing of Lankans has suffered immensely, and needless to say, they are sick if we follow the definition of the WHO, and in that case, the vast majority in this country are sick!

Even with this kind of a mild lockdown, which looks like it is only affecting the lower rungs of our society, the number of infected and deaths due to COVID-19 goes down with each passing day. The rich and powerful carried out their activities without any hindrance, evident by the number of vehicles on the streets. Some went on vacation, even crossing provincial borders without being stopped, others went to Nuwara-Eliya or Kataragama, or booked hotels to stay there during this period. Indeed, they would not have carried the disease to those areas or brought the disease to Colombo, but the message they give to the ordinary citizen leaves much to be desired. It is due to this kind of behaviour that ordinary citizens in urban areas also roamed the streets during the lockdown, as it was very difficult to be crammed inside small houses or mid-level apartments, where five to six people live in 400 to 500 square feet. Therefore, a lockdown is practically impossible to implement in areas with economic constraints, and the best we could do is to concentrate on such areas when taking preventive action.

Alas, the old tried and tested preventive measure of ensuring community participation in disease control is a thing in the past in Colombo. The breakdown in communication between such communities and the health authorities is alarming, which was the reason for more than 100 deaths at home in Colombo this year. The real numbers should be available with the Epidemiology Unit, but unfortunately, information is not forthcoming and health authorities don’t seem to care. Civil societies and NGOs that took part in these activities physically are not to be seen, and that has contributed immensely to the failure of preventive measures. I have wondered why only tail end COVID-19 prevention activities, such as PCR and antigen testing and quarantining, are being focused on, while no real effort is made to prevent the spread of the disease by carrying out large scale awareness campaigns in vulnerable areas, imposing strict lockdown conditions in areas where new variant outbreaks take place; as it happened in Dematagoda where the spread of the Delta variant started; vaccinating people in vulnerable areas first, looking after their daily needs and putting in place a system to provide emergency relief to such areas.

We could have then stopped the Delta variant from spreading into other areas, and to other parts of the country. I do not understand it when health officials in Colombo say 50 percent of PCR samples are positive for the Delta variant and at the same time say that they have contained the spread of the disease. It is a pity that Colombo city so far has no qualified epidemiologist in their ranks, to analyze data, make proper decisions, and implement prevention and control measures.

The hit, the economy of the country took, is not reversible for a long time to come. We have to get economic activities running again from next week without waiting any longer if we don’t want to hit rock bottom. Factories, shops, bakeries, malls and garages should open under strict health guidelines, and the country should move forward again. How should we do that? Wearing a mask all the time, hand washing, maintaining social distance, not stepping out if one has at least one symptom, are the key to success. For this, every institution and each individual should contribute.

When considering the public service, only 20 percent of staff members should be allowed to report to work on a single day during the next few months, but top officials should report to work daily as otherwise, the system cannot function. This will ensure that at least one day a week everyone will be working. They should be advised to work longer hours on such days and to cover all priority work they are usually assigned. Once they report to work they will have to follow strict health guidelines, and government offices have to issue health protocols and implement the same.

Private sector organisations should also stick to the 20 percent quota of office staff, but factories and stores should be allowed to operate with the full team under strict health protocols. These protocols may vary depending on the functions of each organisation, nature of work carried out and the number of workers. Private transport should be arranged for all staff members, including labourers. This will not be an issue as there must be enough idling school vans due to school closure. Public transport should allocate only 50 percent of seats to passengers, at least for the next three months; and if the number of those who test positive further reduces to less than 1,000 per day, passengers may be accommodated according to the number of seats available, but no more. Shops and small-time trade should be allowed to open with minimum staff, and customers allowed inside should correspond to the floor area; at least a minimum of four to five square metres should be allocated per each customer entering such establishments.

The tourism sector should be allowed to function by getting tourists to travel in bubbles without hindrance and even by restricting access, to destinations of tourism value, for locals for some time. This is a very important measure to improve our economy. The testing facilities at the airport should be improved for locals as well as tourists, to allow the release of PCR test reports before they leave the airport.

No demonstrations, protests, gatherings of more than five people in public place should be allowed for at least the next three months and may be controlled using even emergency regulations. Vaccination programmes should be continued, and perhaps vaccinators can work in shifts to provide this service late into the night. A mobile vaccination drive is desirable in certain areas, rather than getting people to travel long distances and then wait in line. The excellent service rendered by the tri-forces and the police during the vaccination programmes in Colombo must be commended. All children above 12 should be vaccinated with a recognized vaccine, and schools should be reopened at least by November this year. PCR and antigen testing should be done only on those who display symptoms and their contacts, as I believe that carrying out random tests can only give us an estimation of the people who have contracted the disease, and is not an accurate sample of the total population. To achieve the latter, we will have to test all the people in the country within a day or two, but that is not practical. Consequently, random testing is a waste of money, time and resources.

The key to success in this endeavour is discipline. All authorities concerned must ensure that health protocols are followed, the number of meetings and gatherings are kept to a minimum, such activities are not allowed in public places and economic activities are carried out following maximum safety measures. The public must exercise individual responsibility in getting vaccinated not only for the sake of their safety but also for the safety of others, limiting unnecessary travel, looking out for neighbours in their hour of need and helping health personnel to carry out their duties.

There had been complaints against officials about pilfering vaccines and vaccinating for money, charging commissions for PCR testing, allocating certain hotels only for quarantined persons, and lately about playing favourites with funeral parlours when releasing bodies for cremation. These allegations should be inquired into, as there can’t be smoke without fire. We must encourage people to have faith in the ongoing activities, as otherwise, they will also not fall in line. The Delta variant will not be around forever. It will subside but come back one day in another form or variant. However, we should be better prepared to face it next time, by having in place preventive measures and getting all concerned to participate in this endeavour.

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Opinion

We do not want to be press-ganged

Published

15 hours ago

2026/01/13

Sahan Weerasooriya

Reference ,the Indian High Commissioner’s recent comments ( The Island, 9th Jan. ) on strong India-Sri Lanka relationship and the assistance granted on recovering from the financial collapse of Sri Lanka and yet again for cyclone recovery., Sri Lankans should express their thanks to India for standing up as a friendly neighbour.

On the Defence Cooperation agreement, the Indian High Commissioner’s assertion was that there was nothing beyond that which had been included in the text. But, dear High Commissioner, we Sri Lankans have burnt our fingers when we signed agreements with the European nations who invaded our country; they took our leaders around the Mulberry bush and made our nation pay a very high price by controlling our destiny for hundreds of years. When the Opposition parties in the Parliament requested the Sri Lankan government to reveal the contents of the Defence agreements signed with India as per the prevalent common practice, the government’s strange response was that India did not want them disclosed.

Even the terms of the one-sided infamous Indo-Sri Lanka agreement, signed in 1987, were disclosed to the public.

Mr. High Commissioner, we are not satisfied with your reply as we are weak, economically, and unable to clearly understand your “India’s Neighbourhood First and Mahasagar policies” . We need the details of the defence agreements signed with our government, early.

RANJITH SOYSA

Opinion

When will we learn?

Published

15 hours ago

2026/01/13

Sahan Weerasooriya

At every election—general or presidential—we do not truly vote, we simply outvote. We push out the incumbent and bring in another, whether recycled from the past or presented as “fresh.” The last time, we chose a newcomer who had spent years criticising others, conveniently ignoring the centuries of damage they inflicted during successive governments. Only now do we realise that governing is far more difficult than criticising.

There is a saying: “Even with elephants, you cannot bring back the wisdom that has passed.” But are we learning? Among our legislators, there have been individuals accused of murder, fraud, and countless illegal acts. True, the courts did not punish them—but are we so blind as to remain naive in the face of such allegations? These fraudsters and criminals, and any sane citizen living in this decade, cannot deny those realities.

Meanwhile, many of our compatriots abroad, living comfortably with their families, ignore these past crimes with blind devotion and campaign for different parties. For most of us, the wish during an election is not the welfare of the country, but simply to send our personal favourite to the council. The clearest example was the election of a teledrama actress—someone who did not even understand the Constitution—over experienced and honest politicians.

It is time to stop this bogus hero worship. Vote not for personalities, but for the country. Vote for integrity, for competence, and for the future we deserve.

Deshapriya Rajapaksha

Opinion

Chlorophyll –The Life-giver is in peril

Published

2 days ago

2026/01/12

Thilina Walpola

Chlorophyll

Chlorophyll is the green pigment found in plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. It is essential for photosynthesis, the process by which light energy is converted into chemical energy to sustain life on Earth. As it is green it reflects Green of the sunlight spectrum and absorbs its Red and Blue ranges. The energy in these rays are used to produce carbohydrates utilising water and carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen in the process. Thus, it performs, in this reaction, three functions essential for life on earth; it produces food and oxygen and removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to maintain equilibrium in our environment. It is one of the wonders of nature that are in peril today. It is essential for life on earth, at least for the present, as there are no suitable alternatives. While chlorophyll can be produced in a lab, it cannot be produced using simple, everyday chemicals in a straightforward process. The total synthesis of chlorophyll is an extremely complex multi-step organic chemistry process that requires specialized knowledge, advanced laboratory equipment, and numerous complex intermediary compounds and catalysts.

Chlorophyll probably evolved inside bacteria in water and migrated to land with plants that preceded animals who also evolved in water. Plants had to come on land first to oxygenate the atmosphere and make it possible for animals to follow. There was very little oxygen in the ocean or on the surface before chlorophyll carrying bacteria and algae started photosynthesis. Now 70% of our atmospheric oxygen is produced by sea phytoplankton and algae, hence the importance of the sea as a source of oxygen.

Chemically, chlorophyll is a porphyrin compound with a central magnesium (Mg²⁺) ion. Factors that affect its production and function are light intensity, availability of nutrients, especially nitrogen and magnesium, water supply and temperature. Availability of nutrients and temperature could be adversely affected due to sea pollution and global warming respectively.

Temperature range for optimum chlorophyll function is 25 – 35 C depending on the types of plants. Plants in temperate climates are adopted to function at lower temperatures and those in tropical regions prefer higher temperatures. Chlorophyll in most plants work most efficiently at 30 C. At lower temperatures it could slow down and become dormant. At temperatures above 40 C chlorophyll enzymes begin to denature and protein complexes can be damaged. Photosynthesis would decline sharply at these high temperatures.

Global warming therefore could affect chlorophyll function and threaten its very existence. Already there is a qualitative as well as quantitative decline of chlorophyll particularly in the sea. The last decade has been the hottest ten years and 2024 the hottest year since recording had started. The ocean absorbs 90% of the excess heat that reaches the Earth due to the greenhouse effect. Global warming has caused sea surface temperatures to rise significantly, leading to record-breaking temperatures in recent years (like 2023-2024), a faster warming rate (four times faster than 40 years ago), and more frequent, intense marine heatwaves, disrupting marine life and weather patterns. The ocean’s surface is heating up much faster, about four times quicker than in the late 1980s, with the last decade being the warmest on record. 2023 and 2024 saw unprecedented high sea surface temperatures, with some periods exceeding previous records by large margins, potentially becoming the new normal.

Half of the global sea surface has gradually changed in colour indicating chlorophyll decline (Frankie Adkins, 2024, Z Hong, 2025). Sea is blue in colour due to the absorption of Red of the sunlight spectrum by water and reflecting Blue. When the green chlorophyll of the phytoplankton is decreased the sea becomes bluer. Researchers from MIT and Georgia Tech found these color changes are global, affecting over half the ocean’s surface in the last two decades, and are consistent with climate model predictions. Sea phytoplankton and algae produce more than 70% of the atmospheric oxygen, replenishing what is consumed by animals. Danger to the life of these animals including humans due to decline of sea chlorophyll is obvious. Unless this trend is reversed there would be irreparable damage and irreversible changes in the ecosystems that involve chlorophyll function as a vital component.

The balance 30% of oxygen is supplied mainly by terrestrial plants which are lost due mainly to human action, either by felling and clearing or due to global warming. Since 2000, approximately 100 million hectares of forest area was lost globally by 2018 due to permanent deforestation. More recent estimates from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) indicate that an estimated 420 million hectares of forest have been lost through deforestation since 1990, with a net loss of approximately 4.7 million hectares per year between 2010 and 2020 (accounting for forest gains by reforestation). From 2001 to 2024, there had been a total of 520 million hectares of tree cover loss globally. This figure includes both temporary loss (e.g., due to fires or logging where forests regrow) and permanent deforestation. Roughly 37% of tree cover loss since 2000 was likely permanent deforestation, resulting in conversion to non-forest land uses such as agriculture, mining, or urban development. Tropical forests account for the vast majority (nearly 94%) of permanent deforestation, largely driven by agricultural expansion. Limiting warming to 1.5°C significantly reduces risks, but without strong action, widespread plant loss and biodiversity decline are projected, making climate change a dominant threat to nature, notes the World Economic Forum. Tropical trees are Earth’s climate regulators—they cool the planet, store massive amounts of carbon, control rainfall, and stabilize global climate systems. Losing them would make climate change faster, hotter, and harder to reverse.

Another vital function of chlorophyll is carbon fixing. Carbon fixation by plants is crucial because it converts atmospheric carbon dioxide into organic compounds, forming the base of the food web, providing energy/building blocks for life, regulating Earth’s climate by removing greenhouse gases, and driving the global carbon cycle, making life as we know it possible. Plants use carbon fixation (photosynthesis) to create their own food (sugars), providing energy and organic matter that sustains all other life forms. By absorbing vast amounts of CO2 (a greenhouse gas) from the atmosphere, plants help control its concentration, mitigating global warming. Chlorophyll drives the Carbon Cycle, it’s the primary natural mechanism for moving inorganic carbon into the biosphere, making it available for all living organisms.

In essence, carbon fixation turns the air we breathe out (carbon dioxide) into the food we eat and the air we breathe in (oxygen), sustaining ecosystems and regulating our planet’s climate.

While land plants store much more total carbon in their biomass, marine plants (like phytoplankton) and algae fix nearly the same amount of carbon annually as all terrestrial plants combined, making the ocean a massive and highly efficient carbon sink, especially coastal ecosystems that sequester carbon far faster than forests. Coastal marine plants (mangroves, salt marshes, seagrasses) are extremely efficient carbon sequesters, absorbing carbon at rates up to 50 times faster than terrestrial forests.

If Chlorophyll decline, which is mainly due to human action driven by uncontrolled greed, is not arrested as soon as possible life on Earth would not be possible.

(Some information was obtained from Wikipedia)

by N. A. de S. Amaratunga ✍️