Army Commander of Sri Lanka orders people held in hotels for quarantine after 14 days sent home

Army Commander of Sri Lanka Lt. Gen. Shavendra de Silva said that the persons who are in  quarantine in star class hotels for more than two weeks after returning from foreign countries will be sent for home quarantine.

Some of these persons including Minister Vidura Wickramanayaka's sister Thushara Wickramanayaka, a doctor from UK, complained publicity via social media that they are kept in quarantine after 14 days as a business.

Wickramanayaka and others said that they had not been released from hotels they are quarantined since there sample for the final PCR test had been lost. 

They were asked to pay for another PCR test and stay in the hotel for few more days at their own expense until the report is received.

They have already paid extra for air tickets, PCR tests and from Rs. 175,000 to 200,000 for hotel quarantine. 

They accused that their is a quarantine business in Sri Lanka.

Thieves rob a house disguised as Public Health Inspectors in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Police Media Spokesman Deputy Inspector General of Police Ajith Rohana said that a group of thieves who appeared as Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) had robbed a house in Kettapahuwa, Maho in the North Western Province. 

The incident had taken place in the afternoon around 3.30 p.m. The robbers appearing as PHIs gave tablets to the residents of the house saying they would take samples from them for PCR tests.

The residents of the house lost consciousness and woke up the next morning to discover that they had lost gold jewellery.

Police asked people to be vigilant about such incidents. Health authorities said that no medication is given before PCR samples are taken. 

Museum to be built in Dambana for Sri Lanka's Veddah skulls returned from Edinburgh

Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa directed the officials of Central Cultural Fund to fund for a museum for Veddah community to place the artefacts returned by the University of Edinburgh. 

A museum is to be built in Dambana, the home of a section of Sri Lanka's indigenous Veddah community, to exhibit the ancient skulls and other artefacts belonging to the community. 

Nine skulls taken to the United Kingdom during the time of the colonial rule about 200 years ago were recently handed over to Veddah chieftain Uruwarige Wanniya. The skulls and the bones were kept so far in the museum of the University of Edinburgh. 

The hunter-gatherer, forest-dwelling community are now fast modernising and the community's traditional lifestyle is exhibited in Dambana which is a popular tourist attraction.

Rs. 3,400 million was approved for the Central Cultural Fund for the projects in 2021, The Prime Minister's media announced. 

(Photo credit to BBC)

Sri Lanka government issues a circular for employees to work from home

To control the spread of COVID-19, Sri Lanka government issued circular paving the way for the public employees work from home. 

The circular issued by President's Secretary P.B. Jayasundara is especially relevant to the Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara districts of Western Province which are under travel restrictions. The circular is relevant to the other risk areas also that are identified by the Director-General of Health Services.

The public offices in other areas will function normally but with strict health precautions. 

The Department Head is given powers to identify and decide the work that can be delivered from home. The files and other equipment can be handed over to the employees and the officials who work from home are on duty from 8.30 a.m. to 4.15 p.m. The accounting authorities of the offices are responsible to provide facilities to the public employees for working online. 

The Department Head has powers to attach the rest of the officials to the other institutions which need human resources. The employees under quarantine can also be asked to work from home. However, workers with even mild symptoms of COVID-19 must be allowed to rest. 

The circular demands the authorities to provide online platforms for the public to obtain direct services. 

Panic buying, escaping in Western Province of Sri Lanka ahead of weekend curfew

Panic buying reported in most parts of the Western Province of Sri Lanka which are not under curfew, ahead of the long weekend curfew imposed since midnight today. Friday 30th October 2020 is a full moon day and a public, bank and mercantile holiday in Sri Lanka.

Large numbers of people gathered in crowded shops including liquor shops with minimal health measures to buy commodities in fear of extension of curfew beyond the weekend. 

Meanwhile, vehicles belonged to the people who were fleeing out of Colombo district and the Western Province on expressways queued about one kilometre long from Kottawa interchange. Police warned people escaping the curfew but the majority of them had reasons because they temporarily lived in the Western Province for work.

Similar queues of exiting vehicles were reported from Pinnaduwa interchange in Galle in the Southern Province also. The Province is not under curfew.

The curfew that will be imposed since midnight today, 29th October 2020, in the Western Province will be lifted at 5 a.m. on Monday. However, the government announced the curfew would not be lifted in police areas which are already under quarantine curfew. 

20th amendment of Constitution of Sri Lanka valid since today

20th  amendment to the constitution of Sri Lanka became valid since today, 29th October 2020. 

Under Sri Lanka's law, a constitutional amendment is valid since the day the Speaker sign it and the Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abewardane signed the relevant document today. 

20th amendment to the constitution was passed on 22nd October with two-third majority in the parliament. 

Parliamentary reporter of Sunday Times infected COVID-19 while working from home

Sri Lanka's leading Sunday newspaper Sunday Times announced that the parliamentary reporter of the newspaper had been infected COVID-19 while working from home. 

The newspaper office has been disinfected and the publishing company said that the printing and distribution department connects with the editorial only via online.

The Sunday Times is published by Wijaya Newspapers Ltd. which publishes Daily Mirror, Lankadeepa daily newspapers and several other periodicals.