News

SL facing just beginning of Delta crisis – expert

Published

5 years ago

2021/08/28

By Rathindra Kuruwita

COVID-19 had reached the community spread stage in the Western Province, some parts of the Northern Province and in the Galle and Matara districts, Prof. Manuj C. Weerasinghe, Head, Department of Community Medicine said on Thursday. He is also involved in the ‘904’ SMS-based system to manage home quarantined Covid-19 patients.

Prof. Weerasinghe said that naming clusters, i.e. Avurudu Pokura, Malu Market Pokura, etc., no longer made any sense as the country was only at the beginning of the crisis created by the Delta variant

“We are only seeing the beginning. We must not dupe ourselves into thinking that we are near the end of the crisis created by Delta,” he said,

Prof. Weerasinghe said that there was no point in talking about the official figures, or planning based on the numbers at their disposal. Making assumptions based on these numbers will only lead to trouble, he said.

“We have to look beyond the numbers and understand the dynamics of the real world. We can safely assume that if there is one COVID positive person in the house, most of the other members too are infected. Given that it’s not easy to get tested, other family members won’t be in the official statistics. This is not only a health crisis but also the beginninf of a social crisis,” he said.

Moreover, in most Sri Lankan households, young people of 18 liveed among senior citizens and thus, the medical attention they need differed, he said, adding that no one had thought of what happened after the travel restrictions were lifted. “Given that we have not imposed a curfew to ensure that people remain in their homes, the effectiveness of the current lockdown is questionabl,” he said.

“Is there a way to enforce effective travel restrictions short of a curfew? It’s good if there is such a method. It’s even better if people stay home when they are asked to do so. However, we know this is not how things happen in the real world. There is a segment of people who will try to do the opposite of what they are advised to do. We have to take severe action because there are such people,” he said.

The extension of the lockdown for another week had given the government and health officials time to decide what they want to achieve during the lockdown, he said. Having objectives and benchmarks were important because it showed what the government wanted to achieve with the lockdown and gave everyone an opportunity to think beyond the lockdown, the Professor said.

“The lockdown has given us breathing space. We must think whether we should revitalize inactive systems or to create new systems to ensure that most people don’t need to travel after the lockdown is lifted. Now people are home and we expect things are going well. There is no planning and when restrictions are lifted, there will be a bit of normalcy for a few days. Then the cases will go up again and we will have to lockdown. This is not a sustainable system,” he said.

The government and most of its detractors were focused on the pros and cons of locking down the country. However, what mattered more was what the country had done to prepare itself to post lockdown context, he said.

“What have we done in the last seven days? Do we have systems in place for people to work and live without coming into contact with each other? At this rate, the social crisis created by COVID-19 will grow rapidly and once we hit a critical point, we will have no options left,” he warned.

MePrimary Health Services Director Dr. Priyantha Atapattu said that the real cases were at least five times more than the reported cases and whether Sri Lanka could return to some sort of normalcy would depend on whether the society could be mobilized to fight the pandemic.

“People are the vector and we have to find a way to keep them home,” he said.

All News Advertisement

News

Opposition asks for PSC to probe Treasury theft

Published

23 mins ago

2026/04/27

Sahan Weerasooriya

Sajith

Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa has called for the appointment of a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to investigate the illegal diversion of Treasury funds, amounting to US$2.5 million to a third-party account.

Premadasa has said both the chairmanship and a majority of the Committee’s membership should be held by the Opposition to ensure impartiality.

The government has not only failed to account for the loss of US$2.5 million but also deliberately withheld information from Parliament, the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) and the public, Premadasa has told the media, accusing the ruling party of seeking to deflect responsibility by initiating an internal departmental inquiry, which he describes as a biased process designed to justify predetermined conclusions.

The Opposition Leader has said only a transparent and independent probe could establish the facts, adding that such an investigation could be effectively carried out through a Parliamentary Select Committee led by the Opposition.

He has also warned that the alleged failure to inform Parliament about the missing funds amounted to a serious breach of accountability.

News

Hanthana land plots given to 44 disaster-hit families

Published

25 mins ago

2026/04/27

Sahan Weerasooriya

One of the beneficiaries receiving an instrument from Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Livestock and Irrigation, KD Lalkantha, at the event.

A land distribution programme benefiting families displaced by disaster in the Kandy District was held on April 24 at the Kandy District Secretariat, with 44 affected households receiving plots in the Hanthana area.

The initiative targeted residents of the Gangawata Korale Divisional Secretariat division whose homes were completely destroyed in a recent disaster, leaving them without permanent shelter.

The event was presided over by Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Livestock and Irrigation K. D. Lalkantha, who said arrangements had been made to provide each beneficiary with Rs. 5 million in instalments through the Pathahewaheta Divisional Secretariat to support the construction of new homes.

He noted that the land parcels had been identified from an estate in the Hanthana area and subsequently subdivided into demarcated plots for distribution among the recipients.

Members of Parliament representing the Kandy District from the NPP, along with Kandy District Secretary Indika Udawatta and Gangawata Korale Divisional Secretary Amila Navaratne, were among those present. Government officials and beneficiaries also attended the event.

The programme forms part of ongoing efforts to provide permanent housing solutions and restore livelihoods for families affected by natural disasters in the region.

Text and Pic by SK Samaranayake

News

Police launch Scout Division to boost leadership and community ties

Published

26 mins ago

2026/04/27

Sahan Weerasooriya

IGP Priyantha Weerasuriya, Scout Association President Ransiri Perera, and Chief Scout Commissioner Manoj Nanayakkara, at the launch.

Text and Pic by Nishendra Silva

The Sri Lanka Police Scout Division was officially inaugurated at a ceremony held recently at Police Headquarters, marking a significant step towards integrating scouting principles within the police service.

The event was presided over by IGP Priyantha Weerasuriya and Chief Scout Commissioner of the Sri Lanka Scout Association Manoj Nanayakkara. The initiative to establish the new division was conceptualised by Nanayakkara as part of efforts to promote leadership, discipline and community engagement within the police force.

A high-level delegation from the Sri Lanka Scout Association was present, including its President Ransiri Perera, National Training Commissioner Padmalal Perera, and National Programme Commissioner Geeth Ramesh. Assistant Chief Commissioners Chandrani Fernando, Deshan Milinda and Sampath Kariyawasam were also in attendance, along with Training Directors Indrajith Ramanayake and Tilakman Pathmasiri.

Representing the Sri Lanka Police were several senior officials, including Senior DIG (Administration) Sanjeewa Dharmaratne, Senior DIG (Western Province) Sajeewa Medawatta, and Senior DIG (Support Services) Rajitha Sri Daminda.

Senior DIG (Training and Higher Training) Sampath Kumara Liyanage, who has been appointed to head the newly formed Police Scout Division, was also present. He is expected to oversee the launch and ongoing operations of police scouting activities, supported by other senior officers tasked with implementing the initiative.