While claiming that urgent action and steadfast leadership are indispensable to stopping the catastrophe,UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia George Laryea-Adjei said the Governments must do everything within their power to stop the devastation.

The Eastern Province Governor Anuradha Yahampath today advised the Provincial Ayurvedic Commissioner to convert all Ayurvedic hospitals in the Province as COVID treatment centres with immediate effect.

Eleven more COVID-19 related deaths were reported today bringing the death toll in Sri Lanka to 720, the Health Ministry said.

The students who obtained the first and second places and the island ranks during the recently announced 2020 GCE Advanced Level (A/L) examination results will not be published this year, the Examination Commissioner General Sanath B. Pujitha said.

The cricket board (BCCI) in coronavirus-hit India will help to move Australia’s entire Indian Premier League (IPL) cohort to the Maldives or Sri Lanka, Cricket Australia boss Nick Hockley said on Wednesday.

The Government bears the full responsibility of providing public transportation in the country, despite the pandemic situation, Transport State Minister Dilum Amunugama said.

The Environment Ministry had decided to take legal action against companies that have violated the gazette notification issued by the Ministry regarding the use of disposable single-use plastics and polythene.

The Attorney General has concluded action in 27,206 criminal cases during his tenure from May, 2019 to May, 2021, AG’s Coordinating Officer said.

The Attorney General today announced that there is no legal impediment in facilitating MP Rishad Bathiudeen from attending parliamentary sessions, AG’s Coordinating Officer said.

Among 160 countries, Sri Lanka has been ranked 69th in the National Cyber Security Index (NCSI), the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT) said.

Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Namal Rajapaksa today stressed that the government would not direct funds allocated to fight the COVID-19 to be used for any other projects.

The number of Covid-19 positive cases identified in the Ceylon Fishery Harbours Corporation (CFHC) in Colombo increased to 39 following PCR tests conducted in recent days.

Public Security Minister Sarath Weerasekara today requested the Speaker not to allow MP Rishard Bathiudeen, who was detained under Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), to attend Parliament until the investigations against him are completed.

The total number of COVID-19 cases identified in the Western Province surpassed the 1,000 mark yesterday, the National Operation Centre for Prevention of Covid-19 Outbreak said.

The people who contracted coronavirus in the Colombo district are being requested not to hide in their houses in fear of being taken out of the province to serve quarantine formalities, Western Provincial Council Chief Secretary W.P. Pradeep Yasarath

Some 12 Grama Nilladhari (GN) Divisions in Colombo, Gampaha, Ratnapura and Vavuniya Districts have been brought under isolation with immediate effect, the National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) said.

Seventy-five people have been taken into custody by the police during raids conducted yesterday at night clubs, gaming centres and spa centres in the Western Province for violating quarantine regulations issued by the Director-General of Health Servi

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged Sri Lankans to take the latest coronavirus surge seriously as daily infections continue to rise rapidly.

The government will explore the possibility of giving the second jab of anti-Covid- 19 vaccine using a different brand from the one used for the first dose, to accelerate the inoculation process, Co-Cabinet spokesman, Plantation Minister Dr. Ramesh P

It has been proposed to construct a Buddhist shrine related to the traditional features of Sri Lanka at the White Horse Temple premises of the People’s Republic of China that is respected by the global Buddhist community.

Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa today urged the government to get its priorities correct and halt the order placed for the purchase of new helicopters from Russia.

It will be possible to give the COVID-19 vaccine as a cocktail, based on the results of the research which is in progress to ascertain the possibility of vaccinating the second dose with an alternate brand of vaccine, State Health Minister Sudarshani

A total of 710 more COVID-19 patients have been detected increasing the daily count of COVID-19 cases to 1860, the Government Information Department said.

Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi today assured that the Government will be able to vaccinate 63 per cent of the population against COVID-19 within this year.

The Sri Lanka Navy today halted at least 86 men who were on board eleven Indian fishing vessels from entering the Sri Lankan waters in the seas off Mannar.

A total of 1,150 new COVID-19 patients were detected so far today, the National Operations Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) said.

The approval on the usage of Pfizer vaccines in the country will be delivered soon, after considering the relevant details, Dr. Rajeeva De Silva, a member of the Panel of Experts on COVID vaccines said today.

Following the records received by the Ministry of Labour, nearly 15,000 people have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic and the government is responsible for ensuring their welfare, Labour Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said.

The Sri Lanka Air Force to procure four MI - 17 Helicopters under the Russian Military Credit Facility as a result of years of negotiations between the Government of Russia and Sri Lanka.

The trend of identifying COVID patients in the country seemed to be going out of hand at present, Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) President Dr. Padma Gunaratne said.