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Colombo Covid-19 deaths from un-vaccinated, or no booster
ECONOMYNEXT – All Coronairus deaths in Colombo are among the unvaccinated and those who had not taken a booster up to 8 months later, said a city health official as mortality started to climb with the spread of Omicron.
“Among the deaths due to Covid 19 in Colombo this year, none of them had taken their booster shots,” said Ruwan Wijayamuni, Chief Medical Officer of Health at the Colombo Municipal Council Public Health Department.
The people who succumbed to Covid so far this year have not received the vaccine at all, or just the first dose only, or had got two doses, but not the booster shot, Wijayamuni explained. “There was no one among the dead who took the booster dose this year”.
Since the booster dose initiation in July 2021, public turnout was low compared to the rollout of the first and second doses. In the last six months of 2021, only 4,052,911 people got their booster shots.
Even during the first few weeks of January 2022, the general public was not actively participating in the third dose administration.
However, with the number of patients increasing from mid-January, the general public started to get the booster dose.
In the last few days, more people were taking the booster, with the daily take-up going to over 90,000 from 20,000 two weeks earlier, data shows.
In January 2022, health officials jabbed 1,208,094 people with the booster dose, increasing the number of booster dose receivers in the country.
“We were able to control the third wave effectively,” Wijayamuni said. “However, with the Omicron variant coming into the country, the numbers of patients have started to increase day by day.
“In Sri Lanka, the number of patients has gone up by around 15 percent in the past few days. “And deaths in Colombo has gone up by four percent.”
Health authorities identified 1,156 patients on Wednesday (02), increasing the number of patients in the country to 613,478. So far, 18,206 patients are receiving treatments in medical centres or the home-based care system.
With 19 more deaths due to Covid 19 reported on Wednesday, the death toll increased to 15,492.
Wijayamuni said the main reason for both factors is not taking the booster shot within the prescribed period.
“In Colombo, we have given the first dose for 96 percent of the eligible population, of which 88 percent got the second dose,” Wijayamuni said.
“When we initiated the booster dose, in the beginning, the general public showed interest in getting the shot, but we saw enthusiasm decrease with time.”
“We found alternatives to increasing the number by visiting workplaces and households with elderly people to administer the vaccine, and also deployed mobile vaccination teams. We have increased the number of people vaccinated each day to around 2,000.”
Wijayamuni also said that the number of vaccinated students in government schools is less than in private or international schools in the district.
“In private schools, we saw more than 90 percent of participation among children to get the vaccine, but the rate in government schools was not more than 50 percent,” he said.
“We have started initiating programs about vaccination for the parents to encourage their children to take the vaccine.”
Meanwhile, the Deputy Director General of Health Services, Hemantha Herath, said those coming forward for the booster shot has increased in the past few days.
On Tuesday (01), 98,775 people received the booster dose, and on Wednesday (03), 96,264.
“At the moment, we have given the booster dose to 37 percent or 5,468,208 of the targeted population. If this continues at this rate, we will be able to cover the targeted population very soon,” Herath said.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
