Speaker gives assurance on strict health guidelines being followed

By Saman Indrajith

Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena assured Parliament, on Thursday (8), that strict health guidelines would be followed at the parliament affairs services unit in Battaramulla to ensure the safety of all parliamentarians and staff members after a family member of an employee of the unit underwent a PCR test for suspected COVID-19 infection.

The parliament affairs services unit is located at Battaramulla outside the parliament premises.

Speaker Abeywardena said so when Galle District SLPP MP Shan Wijayalal de Silva brought to his notice that he had been held up at the entrance of parliament affairs services unit when he went there to get some work done.

“I was not permitted to enter. First, I thought they had failed to identify me because I was wearing a face mask. After identifying myself I found that it was not so. I had to keep standing there outside the office for 35 minutes. Later, the relevant official brought the documents I needed out of the office and gave them to me. I was not allowed in. I believe that there are strict health guidelines followed by the unit due to the present situation. However, since we too want to get our work done, please make arrangements so that those employees can provided an uninterrupted service.

 The Speaker: “A family member of one of the employees at this services unit has undergone a PCR test. Thus, we have adopted precautionary measures. Everyone who goes there will have to abide by these guidelines. Hopefully, when we get this situation under control everything will go back to normal. These measures are for your own safety.”