Ranil wants country closed forthwith to curb spread of pandemic

… blames govt. for not investing in vaccination drive

UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe says that there is a pressing need to think anew and formulate a new strategy to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

The former Prime Minister has, in a statement, said that Sri Lanka needs nearly 30 million COVID-19 vaccine doses and adds that not all citizens will be able to receive their vaccinations in 2021. Therefore, priority should be given to seeking medical advice on how to prevent the further spread of the virus.

The former Prime Minister urges the government not to sacrifice people’s lives by focusing solely on the economy.

Wickremesinghe has said there would have been no shortage of vaccines in the country if the government had invested USD 200 million in the vaccination drive last November.

UNP leader Wickremesinghe says the government remained preoccupied with increasing foreign exchange and increasing tourist arrivals, which led to the spread of the pandemic.

The UNP leader requests the government to close down the country immediately.

The full statement by Wickremesinghe: The people of this country need around 30 million COVID-19 vaccines.  It is difficult to bring down that number of vaccines this year.  

Therefore, there is a need to think anew and formulate a new program for the COVID pandemic.

People who have received the first dose of AstraZeneca should be given the second dose. The government must ensure that the vaccines necessary for these people are purchased. The government and other sectors are trying to bring in the required number of vaccines.

Although the government continues to administer vaccines, not all citizens will be able to receive their vaccinations this year. Therefore, the first thing to do is to seek medical advice on how they can control the further spread of the virus.

Do not sacrifice people’s lives by focusing about the economy. The Sri Lankan rupee has depreciated because the Central Bank printed money.

If US $200 million had been invested in the vaccine last November, there would not have been a vaccination shortage in the country. The virus spread further as Indian tourists were brought to the country by a Government concerned only on increasing our foreign exchange.

Today we see that the anti-COVID efforts cannot be coordinated by the existing committees. If we must close the country, close the country and give relief to the people who need relief.  

The President and the Cabinet should exercise the powers vested in them by the Constitution and make necessary plans to control the spread of the disease.

Do not sideline the cabinet. They must take the necessary steps to ensure the health and safety of the country.”