The Colombo Port which has been hard hit by the pandemic operates at 60-70 percent of its usual efficiency, but things will be fully operational by next week, an official said yesterday.

State Minister of Regional Cooperation Tharaka Balasuriya, making his remarks at the Vice Foreign Minister-Level Video Conference on COVID-19, said the government had to deal with the loss of employment, particularly workers in the informal sector an

Rapid Antigen test cannot be conducted until the Health Ministry issues guidelines on how to use the test kits, State Minister Prof. Channa Jayasumana told Parliament yesterday.

A total of 468 fresh Covid-19 cases were reported today bringing the total confirmed cases to 16,191, the Health Ministry said.

In the wake of four employees attached to the Taj Samudra ’Hotel’, Colombo testing positive for COVID-19, the management said in a statement that the safety and wellbeing of their guests remain the highest priority.

Five more COVID-19 related deaths were reported today surging the total COVID-19 deaths in Sri Lanka to 53, the Government Information Department said.

The Angsana Gym at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, Colombo had been closed after an employee attached to the gym tested positive for COIVID-19 yesterday, the hotel management said.

Reporting of Covid-19 cases outside the Western Province remained at a lower rate, Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera said today.

Rapid Antigen test cannot be conducted until the Health Ministry issues guidelines on how to use the test kits, State Minister Prof. Channa Jayasumana told Parliament today.

A total of 378 more Covid-19 patients recovered and were discharged from hospitals increasing the total number of recoveries in Sri Lanka to 11,031, the Health Ministry said.

Four employees at a five-star hotel in Colombo have tested positive for COVID-19 today, the National Operation Center for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak, said today.

The repatriation of Sri Lankan citizens overseas which was temporarily suspended will resume next week, with five special flights designated to repatriate Sri Lankans from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Italy, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman.

Former Minister Rishad Bathiudeen, who was remanded in connection with alleged misappropriation of public funds at the last Presidential Election, was further remanded till November 25 by Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court today.

A total of 36 Sri Lankan expatriates who were stranded in Japan and United Arab Emirates (UAE) arrived in the country this morning.

Army Commander and Head of the National Operation Center for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak, Lt. General Shavendra Silva said authorities will resume the repatriation process to bring back stranded Sri Lankans from overseas by next week after it was

Seven suspects have been arrested for violating quarantine regulations during a special drone operation launched by the police and air force in Modara and Mount Lavinia this morning, Police Spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana said.

Army Commander Shavendra Silva said today that the spread of coronavirus in highly populated Colombo city has been successfully controlled.

Majority of COVID-19 cases have been reported from the Colombo district out of the total of 373 cases reported in Sri Lanka during the last 24 hours, the Health Ministry said.

India has told the United Kingdom that the ban of LTTE or Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam should continue, Indian media reported.

Whilst stating that the International Monetary Fund ( IMF) had projected a 4.6 percent negative growth end 2020, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa told Parliament yesterday that he would present a budget aimed at creating a modern economy through ‘V

Samagi Jana Balawegaya does not practice ‘tale carrying politics’ but will only voice the issues only internally, Leader of Opposition Sajith Premadasa told Parliament yesterday.

With a total of 369 more fresh Covid-19 cases was reported today, the Minuwangoda-Peliyagoda cluster surpassed the 12,000 mark.

Parliament today approved the Appropriation Bill giving legal effect to all state expenditure for the year 2020.

Three more inmates at the Boossa Prison have been infected with Covid-19 surging the total number of inmates tested positive for virus to 158, the Prison Department said.

Two males aged 54 and 45 passed away due to Covid-19 increasing the total number of COVID- 19 deaths in Sri Lanka to 48, the Government Information Department said.

A special operation has been conducted in the eight provinces except in the Western Province to apprehend the persons who have left the Province after the travel restrictions were imposed, police said.

A special operation will be launched today to monitor public movements in the isolated areas using drone cameras, Police Spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana said.

A total of 470 more Covid-19 patients have recover and been discharged from hospital bringing the total number of recovered cases in Sri Lanka to 10,653.

The four Chinese nationals together with two Sri Lankans, who were tested positive for COVID-19 as employees at a construction project in Kotahena, Colombo 13 were asymptomatic on COVID-19, the Chinese Embassy said in a statement.

All the citizens specially those in the Western Province are requested to restrict movements across districts as well, Army Commander Shavendra Silva said.