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No plans to lock down Sri Lanka but authorities may reconsider if cases spike
ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka has no plans to go for a lockdown or movement restrictions, but health authorities would have to rethink this if COVID-19 continues to spread, an official said after the country recorded over 900 COVID-19 cases for a second day running on Thursday (27).
With Thursday’s 942 infections, total cases in Sri Lanka have reached 607,104, with 14,705 patients receiving treatment in hospitals or at home.
Deputy Director of Health Services Dr Hemantha Herath told reporters on Friday (28) that, despite the rising cases, the authorities have no intention to put the public under COVID-19 restrictions again.
“But if it increases beyond a certain limit, and the spreading doesn’t stop, the authorities may have to rethink it,” he said.
“But at the moment there is no need to go for any restrictions. We have not even thought about going for a lockdown and we don’t think we will need to in the future.”
The daily cases curve that was on the decline in December 2021 gradually started to increase by mid January with restrictions being relaxed and travel increased over the Christmas holidays and the January 14-17 long weekend.
Herath complained that, in the absence of restrictions, the public has started to flout COVID-19 protocols.
“We see the public is increasingly neglecting to follow the guidelines. Relaxing restrictions doesn’t mean the protocols no longer apply,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) called for legal action against those who do not wear masks or follow other COVID-19 protocols.
“If the guidelines aren’t followed, history may repeat itself and we will again find ourselves in a very bad situation,” GMOA member Dr Prasad Colombage told reporters on Friday, calling for legal action to be instituted against violators under Sri Lanka’s quarantine law.
With another 23 deaths confirmed on Thursday, the country’s COVID-19 death toll has increased to 15,369.
The recent increase in daily cases has been attributed to a surprising hesitance to get the booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Urging the public to get the Pfizer-BioNTech jab, Dr Hearth a higher immunity level can prevent transmission.
“It is scientifically proven that a person that has been fully vaccinated has a lower chance of having symptoms, severe conditions and death compared to an unvaccinated person,” Herath said.
“And having a high immunity results in having less symptoms which reduces the risk of transmitting or spreading the virus to another person,” he said.
Fully vaccinated close contacts of confirmed patients can go about their day without being quarantine if they don’t show symptoms, said Herath.
Meanwhile, Senior Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Castle Street hospital for Women, Dr Sanath Lanerolle urged pregnant women to get the vaccine and the booster as infections among pregnant women have increased over the past few weeks.
“It is important that a medical checkup is done if you have any fever or other COVID symptoms,” he said.
There is no scientific evidence that the booster dose affects the child in the womb, said Lanerolle.
“There are misconceptions that the booster dose will affect the child in the womb. But so far there is no scientific evidence to say it will affect the baby, so I kindly request all pregnant women who are eligible get the booster dose to go and get it without any further delay,” he said.
So far, 16.5 million Sri Lankans have received at least a single dose of a vaccine while 13.5 million people have received the first two doses. Friday also marked exactly after a year since the island nation began its vaccine rollout.
However, only five million have been jabbed with the booster dose so far.
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
