News
Minister Dr. Pathirana pays tribute to those fighting pandemic with utmost dedication
by Saman Indrajith
Minister of Plantation Dr. Ramesh Pathirana said on Friday (23) that Parliament should commend all those doing their utmost to control the COVID-19 epidemic in the country.
Participating in the adjournment debate on the COVID-19 pandemic, the Minister said: “It’s the people’s responsibility to adopt a healthy lifestyle while the government, led by the President takes the responsibility of protecting their lives.
“To date, 427,000 PCR tests have been conducted in the country. The number of PCR tests done at hospitals, universities and medical research institutes has gradually increased. It took 95 days for conducting the first 50,000 PCR tests and 34 days for the second round of 50,000 PCR tests and 30 days for the third round of 50,000 PCR tests. Then the number of days to complete the task reduced from 27 days to 25 days to 08 days. At present, 50,000 tests are done within six days.”
Minister Pathirana said that the government had chosen to change the agenda of Parliament to hold the adjournment debate on the Covid-19 as moved by the NPP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
Minister Pathirana requested all MPs to carry out a worthy discussion to improve the health of the public.
Minister Pathirana expressed his gratitude to the President, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Health, doctors, nurses, public health inspectors, the Chief of Defence Staff of the COVID-19 eradication taskforce, and all the intelligence officers who were involved in the great operation to curtail the pandemic situation.
“Ours is one of the most successful countries in the world in terms of managing the pandemic situation. We were able to keep the confusions at a minimum level. The death count is also at a very low level, compared to most of the countries that are hit by the pandemic.”
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri which arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on 04 Apr 25, departed the island today (07 Apr). The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.
During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of INS Sahyadri took part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation. In addition, they also explored some tourist attractions in the country. Further, personnel of Sri Lanka Navy had the opportunity to visit INS Sahyadri, gaining insights into her operational capabilities.
Latest News
Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.
The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.
This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.
The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.
The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.
INS Sahyadri sets sail from Colombo
Belgian prince loses bid for benefits on top of £300k royal allowance
Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
-
Business23 hours agoColombo Coffee wins coveted management awards
-
Features2 days agoStarlink in the Global South
-
Business3 days agoDaraz Sri Lanka ushers in the New Year with 4.4 Avurudu Wasi Pro Max – Sri Lanka’s biggest online Avurudu sale
-
Business4 days agoStrengthening SDG integration into provincial planning and development process
-
Business3 days agoNew SL Sovereign Bonds win foreign investor confidence
-
Sports5 days agoTo play or not to play is Richmond’s decision
-
Features2 days agoModi’s Sri Lanka Sojourn
-
Sports4 days agoNew Zealand under 85kg rugby team set for historic tour of Sri Lanka