Sinopharm has confirmed that two million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine procured by Sri Lanka will be delivered on July 2 and 4, Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka said.

The Health Ministry today introduced a new hotline number 1390 to create a new process to properly care the COVID-19 patients at home.

Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the abduction, torture and nailed to a cross of two persons in a highly torturous manner for sharing a defamation post against an individual on Facebook.

All online and offline airlines that passengers with a travel history (including transit) in the past 14 days to Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe will not be permitted to disembark in Sri Lanka from July

Ranjan Ramanayake, who is serving a four-year rigorous imprisonment at the Angunukolapalassa Prison, has been admitted to the Karapitiya hospital to undergo a surgery.

The Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has suspended cricketers Kusal Mendis, Niroshan Dickwella and Danushka Gunathilaka pending inquiry for breaching the bio-bubble during England tour and had been recalled immediately to Sri Lanka, SLC Secretary Mohan De Sil

The Indian variant known as Delta has been detected from a resident in Relawala Grama Niladhari Division, Jayaliyagama in Kahathuduwa, the Health officials said.

A stray dog that has entered a Covid-19 treatment centre at Kosnilgoda Hospital in Morawaka had bitten three women who were receiving treatment there.

At least seven people were killed and more than 50 people were injured in an explosion in the Bangladeshi capital late on Sunday, police said.

Lunch sheets thickness less than 20 microns is completely beyond truth. Even manufacturing companies cannot measure the gauge, Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said.

Three national cricketers currently on tour in England are facing the prospect of a suspension by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) for breaching bio-bubble protocols.

A video is being circuiting on social media showing Sri Lankan cricketers Niroshan Dickwella and Kusal Mendis enjoying their tour on Sunday night at Durham in England.

Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardana yesterday ruled out the possibility to grant approval for a price hike of imported milk powder because it would add to the burden of people battered by the pandemic.

In a major boost to its vaccine drive, Sri Lanka will receive one million doses of Moderna Covid-19 vaccines next month through the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) COVAX facility, a minister said yesterday.

State Minister for Rural Roads and Other Infrastructure Nimal Lanza said that Mr. Basil Rajapaksa who heads the Presidential Task Force on Economic Regeneration and Poverty Alleviation should be in Parliament.

The Railways Department has decided to operate 70 trains from tomorrow, the Sri Lanka Station Masters’ Union (SLSMU) said.

The Government had decided to administer Covid-19 vaccines for all those who will be leaving Sri Lanka to take up foreign employment from next week, Foreign Employment Bureau (FEB) media spokesman and Deputy Manager Mangala Randeniya said.

A probe has revealed that a total of 425 people from the Western Province had obtained the COVISHIELD second dose in Galle violating quarantine regulations on June 5 and 7, the Health authorities said.

Four suspects,who were remanded at the Kurunegala Prison have escaped, Prisons Spokesman Chandana Ekanayake said.

The first dose of the Chinese Sinopharm COVID-19 Vaccine rollout began for the people above 60 years of age living in the Gampaha area. The vaccination rollout was held at Sri Nagendra Ramaya in Batapola, Gampaha. Pix by Kushan Pathiraja

The Sri Lanka Petroleum Private Tanker Owners’ Association (SLPPTOA) today said that there would be a 15% price hike in line with the recent diesel price hike from July 1.

People above 70 years, who obtained their first dose of the Astrazeneca COVID-19 vaccine at a Colombo Municipal Council vaccination centre,would be able to get their second dose of the same vaccine within this week,Regional Epidemiologist of the CMC-

The Balagolla Police have launched an investigation into the abduction and torture of two persons in an inhumane manner for sharing a defamation post against an individual on Facebook.

The prisoners at the Welikada and Mahara Prisons continued with their hunger strike for the third day by climbing on the roofs of the prisons, prison spokesman Chandana Ekanayake said.

Even in the coming week, there will be no inter-provincial transport services, Transport State Minister Dilum Amunugama said.

Five Grama Niladhari Divisions in Colombo, Rathnapura and Nuwara Eliya Districts have been isolated with effect from 6 am today, the National Operations Center for Prevention of COVID-19 said.

Except for the lions, no other animals in the Dehiwala National Zoological Garden were reported to have been contracted coronavirus, Wildlife State Minister Wimalaweera Dissanayake said.

Matt Hancock has resigned as UK Health Secretary and walked out on his wife after video footage emerged of him kissing an aide in his ministerial office in a breach of coronavirus restrictions.

A container ship left adrift in the Indian Ocean after an engine room fire was being towed to Singapore on Saturday (June 26), Sri Lanka navy said.

Nearly 200 pregnant mothers have contracted coronavirus and they are being treated in hospitals, the Director/Specialist of the Family Health Bureau, Dr. Chitramali de Silva said.