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May 12 was the 200th birth anniversary of famous nurse Florence Nightingale known as ‘the Lady with the Lamp’ for the brave work she did during the Crimean War. The nursing profession began with her. In the ongoing battle against the COVID-19 virus, Sri Lanka’s nurses are known to be playing a major role, risking [...]
Fertiliser crisis: Lanka turns to China imports
Sri Lanka has decided to turn to China for import of fertiliser as paddy and other cultivators throughout the country continued to face a crisis of short supplies, senior officials and trade sources said. National Fertiliser Secretariat Director Mahesh Gammanpila told the Sunday Times they were turning to China to increase imports as they were [...]
Ministry cancels controversial air-purification deal
The purchase of 300 air-purification systems by the Health Ministry under a controversial COVID-19 deal is to be cancelled after a top-level meeting this week, two weeks after the Sunday Times exposed alleged irregularities in the proposed transaction. The meeting’s minutes which were circulated later to several stakeholders had stated that “the committee has decided [...]
June 20 poll unlikely; EC will act on SC ruling
Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya said yesterday that it would be unlikely that the Commission could hold parliamentary elections on the June 20 date already fixed, but it would abide by a Supreme Court ruling with regard to the conduct of the elections. He told the Sunday Times, “The Election Commission which met this week [...]
Elevated highway: Govt. accepts unsolicited proposal from Chinese company
The Government has accepted an unsolicited proposal from China Harbour Engineering Company (Ltd) for the elevated expressway from Athurugiriya to New Kelani Bridge via Rajagiriya — a project for which bid documents had already been finalised to call an open tender. The CHEC bid was directed via the Board of Investment (BOI) and discussions are [...]
Cabinet approves two mega power projects
The Cabinet has approved two mega power projects costing more than US$ 500 million in a bid to overcome a shortfall of power supplies. One of them is an LNG project and other is the required floating deck, pipeline and storage facility due to be set up in Kerawalapitiya off Wattala . The construction is [...]
Who wanted the air-purification systems?
The air-purification systems have been removed from the list, said Dr. Jayasundara Bandara, the Director of ‘Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness’ Project, who readily agreed to meet the Sunday Times on Thursday. “I cannot accept that list as it is, because it needs approval,” he said, explaining that he wants the [...]
Struggling CSE recovers amidst heavy sell-off
The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) this week saw Rs. 61.7 billion worth of share value being wiped out after prices crashed on Monday and were subdued over the rest of the week, after trading resumed for the first time in seven weeks of a shutdown. Adding to the woes foreign investors complained that the market [...]
Energy analyst questions CEB’s costliest route to power generation
Questions are being asked over why the cash-strapped Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) ran a pair of costly diesel-powered gas turbines from January till mid-March when there was sufficient water for cheap hydropower. The turbines were put to use even while the coal-powered Lakvijaya plant was running at full capacity, official data show. They generated 23.7 [...]
Booze shops stay open to keep state coffers replenished
The closure of the 900 liquor shops for nearly two months to help contain the coronavirus has cost the state Rs. 25 billion in excise tax. The Excise Department said that illegal operators have caused 10%, or Rs 2.5 billion, of excise tax loss to the state during this period. The revenue loss is estimated [...]
Deliveries fulfil craving for restaurant delights
In the absence of all forms of dining out, food delivery services are increasingly becoming popular in Colombo among some in our new normal lifestyles. Ravioli, filetto di salmone, mixed grill platters, Caesar salads, tres-leches, hot butter cuttle fish, laksa, sushi rolls are some of the food once savoured in fine dining restaurants now available [...]
Local companies cashing in on mask vacuum
The increased demand for face masks with people returning to workplaces after a near two month stay at home due to COVID-19, has opened up new markets and business ventures for local face mask producers. While pharmacies are facing shortages, once again, as it happened when COVID first made its appearance, some local companies are [...]
Business as usual, but with best practices to the fore
With Sri Lanka opening up for work again, people around the country are being cautious and practising social distancing in their interactions with others. Several companies have started reopening after nearly two months of continuous lockdown. Business owners have made the decision to reopen and established safety practices at the workplace. It’s evident that people [...]
Pick of the pix
Belated dressing Taking it all in The Coronavirus kuuduwa Quiet roads at dusk A brief respite Visor on the side The new normal Healthy attire Sanitizing factor Precautionary moves
New style for a ‘new normal’
Saloons in the Western Province resumed operations after a lapse of more than 10 weeks under the watchful inspection of Public Health Inspectors, as seen in this picture taken at a saloon in Colombo yesterday . Pic by Sameera Weerasekara
Stepping out into the ‘new normal’ in the age of COVID-19
Health and social distancing guidelines were in force as the country started gradually moving out of a seven week lockdown this week on the way to restoring normalcy in what is now called the “new normal” in the age of COVID-19. When civilian life and work commenced last Monday (11), only the districts of Colombo [...]
COVID-19 situation in SL under control, say officials urging public to be more responsible
The situation is under control as Sri Lanka eases the lockdown gradually in high-risk areas, maintains strong vigilance and conducts more community testing for COVID-19, a high-level health official said. Urging people to keep to the strict preventive measures laid down by the health authorities such as social distancing, hand hygiene and wearing of face-masks, [...]
Govt. pushes for decentralisation to minimise crowd gathering in cities
The Government has decided to decentralise the operations of several public institutions in the Colombo and Gampaha districts as part of its COVID-19 pandemic measure aimed at reducing the number of people visiting the cities. The decentralisation would be effected through regional offices and District/Divisional Secretariats. In a circular issued by the Presidential Secretary, Ministries, [...]
Destroying one yield to prepare for the other
Farmers are destroying vegetable crops in Kalpitiya in order to prepare for the next season as they are unable to find a proper market for their produce. Capsicums, chillies, long beans, ladies fingers, beetroot, were among the vegetables that met this fate. Yesterday, tractors were being used to prepare the fields by crushing the existing [...]
Nurses draw on family strength in wrestling virus
At the main hospital treating patients infected with the new coronavirus, the usual white nurse’s uniform has given way to personal protective gear, as nurses distribute medicines and draw blood samples. Behind the success story of dozens recovering and being sent home from the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, are nurses who have not seen [...]
Two killed, as bad weather causes blackouts, landslides and property damage
At least two people were killed, 300 houses damaged and more than 40,000 households left without electricity supplies as monsoon rains affected several parts of the country this week, officials said. The two deaths were reported from the Kegalle district. A 48-year-old man died after being swept away by the currents in the Imbuldeniya area [...]
Cops come calling on imitators ripping off cash
Fraudsters relieving unsuspecting people of their cash parading themselves as police officers investigating last year’s Easter Sunday terrorist attacks on churches are being hunted down by law enforcement authorities. Unidentified callers have been demanding that people make cash transfers to help clear them from investigations, the police say. In one incident in Kotahena in early [...]
Parliament: An invaluable aid to governance in difficult times
The debate about reconvening Parliament or holding parliamentary elections goes on unabated among the political establishment and indeed informed sections of the public. In the meantime the Constitutional and legal issues surrounding the dissolution of Parliament will be determined by the Supreme Court in the days to come. Despite the Constitution postulating that the three [...]
Heroin in rice bags linked to mastermind in prison
A suspected underworld leader currently in prison has been linked to the haul of nearly 226 kilograms of heroin found hidden inside sacks of rice in Welisara, Ragama on Thursday (14). According to the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB), the haul had been kept at the house in Welisara on the instructions of a suspect currently [...]
Dengue patients could balloon well beyond 19,000
Health officials have warned of a possible increase in the number of dengue patients in June and July in the wake of the southwestern monsoon. According to the National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) the number of patients usually increases in those two rainy months. In 2019, a total 14,916 patients were reported during the two [...]
JRJ’s historic speech, as Parliament moved from Galle Face to Diyawanna
The big day for the opening of Parliament was fixed for April 29, 1982. President J.R. Jayewardene was the first to speak on that day. It was indeed a historic speech which is reproduced below: Hon Members of Parliament, our country has a very ancient history of government with which the people were associated. Anuradhapura [...]
Lesson in inequality as education goes from classroom to home
When online learning abruptly becomes a requirement in a country that isn’t ready for it, glaring disparities emerge. Children suffer. Schools remain indefinitely closed. Many educational institutions countrywide have started e-learning. From lessons shared on WhatsApp to Zoom and Microsoft Teams classes, teachers and students are struggling to fit into the new normal. But in [...]
Be cautious and assess situation before opening airport
“Sri Lanka is safe at the moment and except for one big cluster, we are detecting only a few COVID-19 cases from among returnees from abroad who are in quarantine centres,” said Consultant Physician Dr. Eranga Narangoda, urging caution before opening the airport to the outside world. Dr. Narangoda who along with his team is [...]
Overwhelming pile of work slows down public services
Government offices, in areas where the curfew was lifted during day and where restrictions have been relaxed, are struggling with a backlog built up over nine weeks. District and Divisional Secretaries in some areas severely affected by the new coronavirus, had to even work into the night in some instances to reduce the backlog despite [...]
Mixed signals for Railway’s Covid-compliant digital booking system
The Railway Department’s ambitious bid to put on track a digital booking system in keeping with the Covid-19 pandemic health guidelines has received mixed signals from passengers, prompting the authorities to take measures to further streamline the system. With the government relaxing the lockdown on Monday, May 11, enabling state and private institutions in curfew-hit [...]
Sri Lanka Posts to resume limited foreign mail service from tomorrow
Foreign post and parcel services, both via air and sea, will gradually return to normal from tomorrow, with international ports and airports gradually opening up, the Post Master General said. The Sunday Times learns that depending on SriLankan Airlines’ flight schedules, airmail service would operate to Britain, Hong Kong, Australia, Singapore, Qatar, Japan, China, Singapore, [...]