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Sri Lankans, like all others around the globe, are anxiously waiting for the week’s best news regarding a vaccine for the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is after Pfizer, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, announced that its two-part COVID-19 vaccine is 90% effective at preventing the disease. However, the availability will involve a lot of delays, says the TIME magazine’s Coronavirus Brief circulated worldwide including Sri Lanka.

This is what it says, “If borne out by yet-to-be-published data and granted approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a vaccine with efficacy levels that high could make a serious dent in a pandemic that continues to set new records daily in the U.S. and ravage the rest of the world.

“But creating a vaccine and getting it approved are only the first steps. ‘The asterisk is that actually getting the vaccine to people who need it will not be easy,’ says TIME’s Jamie Ducharme, who recently wrote about the challenges facing Pfizer’s vaccine. Among them: the genetic material (called mRNA) used to make the vaccine breaks down unless it is kept at ultra-low temperatures, so the vaccine must be stored at -94°F, requiring expensive specialised freezers. That complicates the rollout logistics for under-resourced communities, like rural areas, nursing homes and developing nations.

“A lack of fancy freezers isn’t the only obstacle. Dosing out Pfizer’s vaccine requires a strong type of glass that is in short supply, and distributing it requires dry ice, which is already in high demand because it’s used in food delivery. “Even once the vaccine is approved, distributing it will still be a huge logistical challenge,” Jamie says.

“Some potential solutions have been proposed. Centralising vaccine distribution in large “vaccine depots,” as some U.S. states are considering, may make it easier to corral resources. But doing so comes with additional problems, like staffing, cost and long travel times for vaccine recipients. Other, hardier vaccines could also eventually prove effective. And further medical innovation may eventually yield a version of the Pfizer vaccine that does not require such extreme storage measures—but that will, of course, take time.

“The freezer in your kitchen likely gets down to temperatures around -20° C (-4°F). “That keeps your ice cream cold, but it doesn’t turn your ice cream into an impenetrable block of ice,” says Paula Cannon, an associate professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine.

“Pfizer’s promising COVID – 19 vaccine, must be stored at about -70°C (-94°F)—a temperature cold enough to harden ice cream into a spoon-breaking block of ice, and that only specialised freezers can produce.

“Those cold storage requirements are raising serious questions about who could get the Pfizer vaccine if it’s approved, and when. The reality, experts say, is that the Pfizer vaccine probably will not be available to everyone, at least not right away. Large medical centers and urban centers are the most likely to have the resources necessary for ultra-cold storage. People without access to these facilities, such as those living in rural areas, nursing homes and developing nations, may have to wait for other vaccines working their way through the development pipeline.”

Ambassador Rodney Perera

Ambassador Rodney Perera opts for early retirement

Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the United States of America, Rodney Perera, the senior-most Foreign Service diplomat serving abroad, has submitted his papers to the Ministry of Foreign Relations for early retirement.

A career diplomat who has served in Asia, Africa, Europe and North America, Ambassador Perera was Additional Secretary of the Ministry when the former government sent him to Washington DC last year to head the mission that was headless for two years during the Yahapalana Administration.

He had served previously as Ambassador in Italy, Norway, and the European Union. In Italy, he was bestowed the highest civilian honour and at the EU he negotiated the GSP+ trade concessions for Sri Lanka, the relisting of the LTTE as a banned organisation and lifting of the fishing ban on Sri Lanka.

Foreign Service officers over the age of 60 years and serving post retirement as envoys abroad were recently served with quit notices. Ambassador Perera who is still 57 also received orders from Colombo to return to the ministry with immediate effect.

Ambassador Perera has, however, opted to send in his resignation. An alumnus of two US universities, he is likely to pursue a teaching career or work in the private sector.

Former Foreign Secretary Ravinatha Aryasinha is due to take up his posting as Sri Lanka’s next Ambassador to the US shortly. He is due to turn 60 next year.

The port worker who could not go to Galle showing the letter from the Ports Authority

Commuters stranded midstream as travel restriction imposed at short notice

People who were returning home on Wednesday were forced to undergo unexpected difficulties as the travel restriction between the Western Province and other provinces was imposed at short notice while they were in transit.

This had commuters in midstream, stranded and confused on the roadsides as they were making their way back home after work. Some people had been traveling half way on the Southern Expressway when they learned the exit was closed.

When they reached the exit, angry police officers were yelling at them saying the Expressway was closed and to turn around their vehicles.

Meanwhile, employees who were to leave for home by train from the Colombo Fort railway station or a bus from the Pettah bus stand were scratching their heads and waiting as there were no trains or buses operating out of the Western province.

One of the affected was a Colombo Port employee who was returning home after working 14 days at the port.

He said that after working for two weeks continuously, he reached Colombo fort bus stand to return to Galle  where his family lived but because of the sudden travel restriction there were no buses available.  Therefore, he had to reach Kalutara by bus and proceed to Galle by other means. He had a Ports Authority letter to be used as a pass to go through restricted areas.

Another resident of Medawachchi had just come out of the National Hospital after visiting his daughter when he was informed that he would not be able to leave the province.

“We have no objections to restricting people leaving the province as a measure to control the Covid situation, but what about the genuine cases who have to leave the province with no accommodation in the city,” one stranded person asked.

SJB renegade Diana resigns from party post

Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) National List MP Diana Gamage, who voted in favour of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution, has sent in her resignation.

She was the Deputy General Secretary of the SJB and party officials said the resignation was “voluntary.”

The move came as SJB leader Sajith Premadasa came under pressure from senior party members to take disciplinary action against all those who voted for the 20th Amendment. However, the SJB has not acted against Ms Gamage so far.

The All-Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) which is led by Rishad Bathiudeen  is also yet to act on disciplinary action against two of its MPs who voted for the 20A.

ACMC General Secretary S. Subairdeen has written to SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara that they were unable to take a decision since their leader, Mr. Bathiudeen was not available.

Hence, their Political Authority was unable to meet, he has pointed out. Mr. Bathiudeen is now in remand custody.