President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said today that he was hopeful that the World Health Organization (WHO) would make effort to fulfil Sri Lanka’s need for 600,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine for the second dose.

The National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) today granted approval for the emergency use of Pfizer vaccines as shield for COVID virus in Sri Lanka, State Minister of Primary Health Care, Epidemics and COVID Disease Control Dr. Sudarshini Ferna

The first phase of Russia’s Sputnik-V vaccine inoculation began at Gothatuwa for Colombo district residents yesterday, received no complications, Gothatuwa Administrative Public Health Inspector (PHI) Nalin Fonseka said.

Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera has instructed the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) to immediately update the Red data Book according to the new edition released by the Wildlife Department.

All eco-tourist destinations, tourist attractions, forest lodges and camping grounds that were open to tourists and controlled by the Wildlife Department have been advised to close until further notice, the Government Information Department said.

More than 4,000 COVID-19 infected patients are still in their homes due to the shortage of beds at treatment centres or hospitals across the country.

With the outbreak of the COVID pandemic in the country, nearly 15 million face masks are being disposed daily in Sri Lanka have become extremely hazardous to birds, Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said.

A consignment of 230 metric tonnes of unrefined coconut oil brought to the Colombo Port on April 30 will be re-exported to Malaysia today, Customs Deputy Director (Legal Affairs) and Media Spokesman Sudattha Silva said.

The Dedicated Economic Centre in Welisara will be closed for ten days from today after identifying 28 COVID-19 positive persons, the Economic Centre Manager H.M.D Upali said.

The Education Ministry today said all schools, pre-schools, pirivena, tuition classes and universities will remain closed due to the current COVID-19 pandemic situation.

A total of 436 persons have been arrested in various parts of the country for violating quarantine laws during the past 24 hours ending 6.00 am. today.

Acting Solicitor General Sanjay Rajaratnam has been nominated by the President to be appointed as the new Attorney General, Parliament sources said.

The construction work of phase 1 of the seventh expressway in the country named ’Ruwanpura Expressway (E-06)’ will commence today, the Road Development Authority (RDA) said.

The Police Special Task Force (STF) arrested an accomplice of notorious drug dealer and gangster ’Kimbulaele Guna’ at Bloemendhal road with 4.527 kg of hash and 2. 22 kg of narcotic substance known as ICE (methamphetamine).

The isolation imposed on Ingurudaluwa, Pelwatta East, Miriswatta and Pahala Hewessa Grama Niladhari (GN) Divisions in Kalutara District will be lifted with immediate effect, Army Commander and Head of the National Operation Centre for Prevention of

Four Grama Niladhari (GN) divisions Piliyandala in Colombo District, three GN divisions in Kalutara District and five GN divisions in Kadawatha in Gampaha District have been isolated with immediate effect, the National Operations Centre for Preventio

The public have been told to self-isolate after undergoing a PCR test until they receive the test results.

Sri Lanka is likely to roll out the Sinopharm vaccines manufactured by China by next week as the World Health Organisation is all set to announce its decision by the weekend or early next week, the Daily Mirror learns.

Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga and stakeholders in the tourism industry have had closed-door talks in an attempt to resolve a dispute over the proposed Tourism Act.

The Sri Lanka Army, which is currently engaged in improvising emergency Hospitals and Intermediate Care Centres to accommodate COVID-19 patients, denied social media reports that the Army had appealed to the general public to provide them with the re

The COVID-19 death toll in the country today climbed to 745 with eleven more deaths being confirmed by the Director-General of Health Services, the Government Information Department said.

Maldives’ first democratically elected president and current Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed has been injured in a blast Thursday near his home and was being treated in a hospital in the capital, police said.

GS Sports has denied any involvement with a project initiated by Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Namal Rajapaksa to establish 500 container crossfit gyms islandwide.

Kanishka Raffel has been elected as the next Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, the first person from a non-European background to hold the position.

A total of 1, 305 new COVID-19 patients were detected so far today, the National Operations Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) said.

Twenty trains including night mail trains have been cancelled following the sharp drop in the number of commuters due to the recent spike in COVID-19 cases, the Railways Department said.

The Police today denied a message being circulated on WhatsApp saying a higher number of Covid-19 cases had been reported from the Kirulapone and Wellawatte Police areas in recent days.

When a COVID patient is admitted to an Ayurvedic Hospital, he/she has the freedom to choose the treatment he/she receives is Ayurvedic or Western, State Minister of Primary Health Care, Epidemics and COVID Disease Control Minister Sudarshani Fernando

Legal action would be taken against Heads of Department (HoD) of State and private sector institutions if any gatherings were organised within their office premises and found guilty of violating COVID safety regulations, the Public Health Inspectors

Assuring that the Army will not let hospitals run out of beds to treat Covid-19 patients, Army Commander Shavendra Silva said that they will take shelter even under a tree and sacrifice their camps for the well-being of people of this country if the