Are Sri Lanka President's travel restrictions mere words?

Sri Lanka President directed officials to prevent travel outside of Western Province because COVID-19 spread more in the province. 

The President gave this instruction at the daily meeting of the COVID-19 Task Force held in the Presidential Secretariat today (November 11). However, the President\"s instruction was not highlighted in the President\"s Facebook post about the meeting as well as in the media reports. 

President told at the cabinet meeting held in the last week of October also that the country would not be shut down due to COVID-19 spread. Instead, travel restrictions would be imposed in areas the disease is spread more. 

A circular issued by the President\"s office on October 29 stated that Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara districts of Western Province were under travel restrictions. 

However, the travel restrictions appear as withdrawn with the curfew on November 9. 

Update: Army Commander Shavendra Silva said that according to the travel restrictions imposed on the Western Province, no one can go out of the Province until Sunday, 15 November. 

430 Sri Lankans who were stranded abroad arrive in the island

After social media posted photos of homeless Sri Lankans including women waiting in parks in Arab countries stuck there due to flight cancellation, 430 expatriate Sri Lankans arrived in the country yesterday and today. EK 648 brought 50 Sri Lankans from Dubai, ET 8804 brought 110 Sri Lankans from Dubai and UL 226 brought 270 more people from Dubai. 

Sixty-six more Sri Lankans are expected from Mumbai today, says National Operation Centre for the Prevention of COVID-19. 

All the persons who arrived in the country will have to undergo 14 days of quarantine in centres maintained by the military.  

Meena Sathi, a UK trained academic (Gender, Poverty and Development), who is presently domiciled in Dubai and is currently occupied as an activist cum volunteer, assisting the migrant worker community stranded there, speaking to Ceylon Today, said many, including well over 100 Sri Lankan men and women, with various visa statuses (visit, work and resident, with persons who fall within the definition of the latter two categories also losing their jobs in the wake of COVID-19), have been experiencing such deprivation and degradation for weeks on end. They are languishing in a few public parks near the Sri Lankan Consulate such as that in Jafiliya, which has no toilets let alone the bare essentials of basic sanitation and healthcare facilities, and no sleeping mattresses made available for its non-arboreal inhabitants. 

In the backdrop of the ever-present societal fear of COVID-19, she noted that, when they go to relieve themselves at toilets in small shops and petrol stations, they are scolded for being potential carriers of the virus. As far as food and drink are concerned, while the Consulate supplies food packets for breakfast and lunch, those stranded claim that they do not receive their dinner from the Consulate despite stating otherwise.

Foreign Ministry has so far repatriated 40,000 Sri Lankans from over 122 countries and over 13,000 from the Middle Eastern Region, the focal point of the Foreign Ministry (FM) on COVID -19 Action and DG/East Asia Kandeepan Balasubramaniam said to Ceylon Today. 

(Photo: Sri Lankans living in a park - from Colombo Telegraph)

Sri Lanka exports electronic waste to Japan; why not value added? (Editorial)

Sri Lanka will export three tons of electric and electronic waste today to Japan, says Minister of Environment Mahinda Amaraweera. 

The waste was collected recently through a national drive early in October and the Minister says the programme will continue. However, the country lacks regular ways to collect e-waste. 

The Minister earlier said to Economy Next that the government expected to recycle some of the E-waste materials such as Iron, Aluminium and plastic which could be recycled in the country, while other materials which could not be dealt with in the country would be sent overseas. The recycling process within the country will be given to institutions which are registered under the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) which will also supervise the process, he says.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Industry Wimal Weerawansa is pushing for local industry and it is a wonder why the Ministry of Environment has not discussed with them to process and add value to these electronic waste. 

We hope the Ministry of Environment will continue this good move while the Ministry of Industry tries to liaise with them to process these electronic waste and add value to them before export.

The link is to the Licensed E-Waste collectors & Exporters in Sri Lanka. 

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Bus fare in Sri Lanka increased by 20% since tomorrow

State Minister of Vehicle Regulation, Bus Transport Services and Train Compartments and Motor Car Industry Dilum Amunugama said that bus fares of Sri Lanka would be increased since midnight today.

He said that the price increase would be effective according to three methods. 

In the circumstances, the health authorities allow normal transport, no fare hike will be effective.

The second method is approved now by the health authorities. According to it, the buses will transport passengers only according to the number of seats. The buses will be allowed for 20% fare increase and the minimum fare will be increased from Rs.12 to 14. The bus fares of semi-luxury and luxury buses will not be increased.

In the circumstances, the passengers will be allowed only up to 50% of the number of seats, 50% fare hike will be allowed. The fare hike for semi-luxury buses is 20% and for luxury buses 10%. 

Minister of Gamini Lokuge said that the cabinet had approved this fare hike. He further said that the government would arrange with the suspension of leasing payment for six months for the private bus owners.

Rs. 300,000 concessionary loan will also be provided to the bus owners. 

However, most of the bus drivers and conductors earn a commission from the income and the government's proposals are less likely to provide solutions to their issues.

Sri Lanka government consults experts on burial of COVID-19 dead bodies

Sri Lanka government says that the government will consult the relevant authorities to make the decision regarding the disposal of the dead bodies of COVID-19 patients according to the health precautions.

"There are various opinions about the issue," cabinet spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said to media. "In the cabinet meeting yesterday, Minister Ali Sabry submitted a proposal to consider burial of the dead bodies of the Muslim COVID-19 patients, especially in dry zone areas. However, the cabinet did not make a decision. The facts will be forwarded to the relevant authorities and a decision will be made according to their recommendations."

According to the government decision, the health and other authorities will have to make recommendations about the request of the Muslims for their rights. 

However, Muslim organizations including extremist National Thawheed Jamath thanked the government for being benign to the Muslim sentiments regarding the burial of the dead. Sources say that Minister of Justice Ali Sabry is the lead advocate in the government for the rights of the Muslims for burial. 

However, contamination of water sources by the virus is cited by the persons who are against the burial of COVID-19 dead bodies. Both science and anti-Muslim mentality are behind the campaign against the burial of COVID-19 dead bodies.

(Photo from Amnesty.org)

No decision yet in Sri Lanka to bury the dead bodies of Muslims

Sri Lanka government sources say that no final decision has been so far taken regarding the burial of the Muslim persons who pass away due to COVID-19. 

However, Muslim organizations including extremist National Thawheed Jamath thanked the government for being benign to the Muslim sentiments regarding the burial of the dead.  

Sources say Minister of Justice Ali Sabry is the lead advocate for the rights of the Muslims for burial. 

However, the government sources further say that the probability of burying the dead COVID-19 persons on dry cemeteries is being studied. Contamination of water sources by the virus is cited by the persons who are against the burial of COVID-19 dead bodies. 

Sri Lanka government has no proper plan yet for school education

Parents of school students of Sri Lanka complain that no proper plan is available to conduct the paralyzed education of the country's children. They lament about schools not having plans, authorities not providing proper directions, internet and electronic media access of the low-income groups. 

Some schools and teachers conduct online classes but many parents lament about the limited access to them because of coverage issues, internet access, lack of equipment and the quality of online education.

Meanwhile, Ceylon Teachers' Union issuing a statement urged the government to streamline the use of television and radio channels to benefit the students because the electromagnetic spectrum is public property.

Minister of Education Prof. G.L. Peiris said that Gurugedara Educational Channel telecast about 2,700 lessons from Grade 3 to 13. Gurugedara Educational Channel is telecast on Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation's Channel Eye which has poor visibility in some areas of the island. 

Sri Lanka State Ministry of Education Reforms, Open Universities and Remote Education Promotion announced that remote education would start for the school students since November 15. 

GCE Ordinary Level examination will not be held in December. The examination will be held from January 17 to 26, The Secretary of the Ministry of Education Prof. Kapila Perera says. 

The start of the third term of government schools was scheduled to November 9 but it was postponed indefinitely due to spread of COVID-19.

Out of 10,175 government schools in Sri Lanka, 1,468 schools have less than 50 students. The number of schools with the number of students from 51 to100 is 1,498. The Secretary to the Ministry of Education said that the authorities were considering the possibility to start these schools.