News
Prof. Malavige pleads to keep virulent coronavirus strain from S. Africa, UK out of Sri Lanka
Rathindra Kuruwita
Everything possible must be done to prevent the highly virulent COVID-19 strains from South Africa and the United Kingdom from arriving in Sri Lanka, Prof. Neelika Malavige, from the Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura told the media yesterday.
Prof. Malavige said that the strain found in Sri Lanka was much less virulent than the above-mentioned strains.
“We just have to do our best to stop these strains from coming in,” she said.
She said that the Jayewardenepura University had analysed coronavirus samples from various parts of the country and had found that they all belonged to a single strain.
“We are currently analyzing the samples from Badulla where the virus is rapidly spreading,” she said
Commenting on Prof. Malavige’s claim, President of the College of Medical Laboratory Science, Ravi Kumudesh told The Island that the government had to allow the government- testing facilities at the BIA to test incoming tourists. Test labs should also be established in other airports too, he said.
“We don’t get samples at the airport. The Health Ministry has allowed businessmen to take this over. This has become a great money-making scheme for certain private sector institutions. Some so-called experts are also manipulating data to justify this practice.”
Kumudesh said that when they proposed to establish a PCR lab at the BIA, there had been a lot of resistance from certain officials of the Health Ministry and doctors that also work for private labs.
“However, the Health Secretary gave us his blessings and we established a lab within 10 days. This lab that can give PCR test report swithin one and a half hours. It can accommodate 4,500 tests per day. I don’t think that more than 1,500 people would come in a day in the coming months,” he said.
Latest News
China pledges continued support for Sri Lanka’s Sovereignty, Territorial Integrity, and Independence – Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China
Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China, stated that China is committed to supporting Sri Lanka’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence.
This statement was made during a meeting between President Anura Kumar Disanayake and Zhao Leji, which took place earlier today (16) as part of President Disanayake’s four-day official visit to China.
During the meeting, Chairman Zhao warmly welcomed President Disanayake, further emphasizing that working with Sri Lanka in a continuous and cooperative manner is a key expectation of the Chinese National People’s Congress.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism, Vijitha Herath; Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports, and Civil Aviation, Bimal Rathnayake; Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Qi Zhenhong; and Sri Lankan Ambassador to China, Majintha Jayasinghe, were also present at the event.
Business
$3.7 billion foreign direct investment secured during President’s first state visit to China
During President Anura Kumara Disanayake’s four-day state visit to China, Sri Lanka marked a significant milestone by securing the largest foreign direct investment to date. This significant achievement was formalized this morning (16) with the signing of an agreement between Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Energy and Sinopec, a leading Chinese international petroleum corporation.
Under this $3.7 billion investment, a state-of-the-art oil refinery with a capacity of 200,000 barrels will be constructed in the Hambantota region. A substantial portion of the refinery’s output is planned for export, further enhancing the nation’s foreign exchange earnings.
This major investment from China is expected to bolster Sri Lanka’s economic growth while uplifting the livelihoods of low-income communities in the Hambantota area. Moreover, the benefits of this project are anticipated to positively impact the overall Sri Lankan population in the near future.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Labour and Tourism Vijitha Herath, Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation Bimal Rathnayake and Director General of Government Information H. S. K. J. Bandara, alongside other dignitaries were present when the agreement was signed.
President Anura Kumara Disanayake extended an invitation to Chinese investors to explore investment opportunities in Sri Lanka, emphasizing the nation’s stable governance and transparent economy.
He made these remarks as the keynote speaker at the “Investment Forum” held today (16), jointly organized by Chinese state and private enterprises.
The forum was a significant event during President Disanayake’s third day of his four-day state visit to China, undertaken at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Prominent Chinese corporations, including China Tianying Inc. (CNTY), China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd., China Communications Construction Company Ltd., China Petrochemical Corporation (SINOPEC Group), Metallurgical Corporation of China Ltd., China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), China Energy International Group Company Ltd., Guangzhou Public Transport Group and Huawei BYD Auto participated in the event.
President Disanayake also engaged in cordial discussions with the leadership of these corporations.
The forum was attended by Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism Vijitha Herath, Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports, and Civil Aviation, Bimal Rathnayake, Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong, and Sri Lankan Ambassador to China Majintha Jayasinghe, among others.
Dozens killed as Israeli strikes continue ahead of Gaza ceasefire
China pledges continued support for Sri Lanka’s Sovereignty, Territorial Integrity, and Independence – Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China
$3.7 billion foreign direct investment secured during President’s first state visit to China
-
News3 days agoSri Lanka’s passport third strongest in South Asia
-
Features3 days agoBackstreet Boys’ Nick Carter to perform in Colombo!
-
Opinion4 days agoTribute to late Commander (MCD) Shanthi Kumar Bahar, RWP Sri Lanka Navy
-
Sports5 days agoDialog celebrates Chamari Athapaththu’s ICC nominations and outstanding achievements
-
News5 days agoBritish conductor at Khemadasa anniversary concert on Jan. 25
-
News2 days agoFSP warns of Indian designs to swamp Sri Lanka
-
Editorial4 days agoJekylls and Hydes
-
News3 days agoElectricity regulator contradicts Minister; tariff reduction certain