Sajith identified as a second level contact of a Covid-19 patient Mahindananda asks him to take Plaquenil

By Saman Indrajith

Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi told Parliament yesterday that Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa had been identified as a second level contact of a COVID-19 patient, and the government could take swift action to prevent him being infected.

 The minister, responding to a question raised by Opposition Leader Premadasa, said that the latter had visited a hotel in Yala where a COVID-19 infected person was found and when authorities did contact tracing they identified Premadasa as a second level contact.  

“Within hours our authorities informed the Opposition Leader of the situation so that he could take necessary action. So the Opposition Leader has first-hand experience of the effectiveness of the government’s measures to prevent the pandemic spread. Therefore, he must refrain from spreading falsehoods and creating panic.”

Opposition Leader Premadasa said that many areas including Kuliyapitiya and Pannala had been shut down as the pandemic was spreading fast. “Now, we have passed the cluster level and are at the community transmission level. The government lies to people that we are still at cluster level.”

Minister Wanniarachchi said that the situation was under control, and assured that the pandemic had not yet reached the community transmission level in the country.

Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage:

The Minister should take the Opposition Leader’s prescription of Plaquenil seriously to treat COVID-19 patients.

 Opposition Leader:

I raised an important question. Doctors say that the pandemic has reached the community transmission level. Is the Health Minister taking responsibility? Available PCR machines are not sufficient. Some of them are broken down. The Health Minister does not accept it. 

Minister Wanniarachchi:

Sajith Premadasa is a person who found a medicine by browsing the Internet and went on telling people to use it during his presidential campaign.  What would have happened to our people if he had become the President of this country? We should be proud as a country because in South Asia we are very much ahead of other countries in conducting PCR tests.

 Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena:

MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake has asked for a debate on the matter. You can take up these issues in that debate.

SJB Kalutatra District MP Kumara Welgama:

Three villages in Matugama have been locked down. I ask the government to give a Rs 5,000 allowance to people in those villages too.

The Speaker:

You can speak about it during the debate.