Four Chinese workers staying in Port City diagnosed COVID-19 positive

Four Chinese employees working in a contract in Colombo are diagnosed COVID-19, health sources say.

China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) announced that the four Chinese nationals had worked in Kotahena in Colombo city and stayed temporarily in the workers' residences in Colombo Port City. Two Sri Lankans who stayed in the same residence have diagnosed positive for COVID-19. 

CHEC Port City Colombo (Pvt) Ltd said that the residence in the Port City used by these infected employees had been used only by the employees in Kotahena outside of the Port City. The employees of the Port City project have neither used that residence and nor associated these workers. 

The patients were diagnosed through random PCR tests conducted in Port City, the company said. 

The residence is now isolated.  

Sri Lanka government close to admit community spread of COVID-19

Health Ministry Spokesman Dr. Jayaruwan Bandara said that in the context of estimated 30,000 COVID-19 persons live in Colombo city, the country's COVID-19 level must be reconsidered and the attitudes must be changed. 

Sri Lanka Ministry of Health presently categorizes the country in the third level of risk in which multiple clusters of patients are diagnosed around the country.

Ruwan Wijayamuni, Chief Medical Health Officer of Colombo Municipal Council said earlier that there could be around 30,000 COVID-19 persons in Colombo city alone. 

Around 3,500 COVID-19 infected persons have been diagnosed so far in Colombo city alone. 

Mattakkuliya, Modara, Bloemandahl, Kotahena, Grandpass, Coastal, Aduruppu Weediya, Maligawatta, Dematogoda, Wellampitiya, Borella and Keselwatta areas of Colombo city remain locked down. 

Sri Lanka starts to use high tech drones and helicopters to arrest violators of quarantine regulations

Sri Lanka police and security forces have started the use of high tech drones and helicopters to discipline the people in locked-down areas. 

News bulletins showed footage of drone cameras and Air Force helicopters that spied in Modara locked-down area in Colombo city. Police and military personnel in large numbers were seen ready for raid and high power patrol motorcycles were shown entering into the areas later.

Police said that 15 persons who violated quarantine regulations had been arrested in raid. 

Police Media Spokesman Deputy Inspector General Ajith Rohana said to media that high tech drones would be used to spy the persons who violate travel restrictions. 

98 Sri Lankans die abroad due to COVID-19; Majority in Saudi

Sri Lanka Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that 98 Sri Lankan expatriates had died so far in foreign countries.

The majority of deaths have occurred in middle east countries. 

Saudi Arabia - 36

Kuwait  - 21

UAE - 10

Qatar - 06

Britain -05

United States - 04

Canada - 04

Bahrain - 02

Jordan - 02

Germany - 02

Italy  -02

Israel  - 01

 

Sri Lanka government gets historic Rs. 2,650 billion loans in 2020

Sri Lanka government has obtained Rs. 2,650 billion loans in 2020, some even without the approval of the parliament, Sri Lanka Opposition MP Kabir Hashim said in the parliament today. "It is the highest amount of debt Sri Lanka obtained within a year, in its history," MP Hashim highlighted. 

"The House is asked for a Covering approval for expenditures already incurred because the government has failed to get approval in advance," Hashim said.

"Two votes on account were passed for 1st Jan to Apr 30 and Sept 1st to December 31. However, there is a lapse of months from May 1 to Aug 20 no approval for expenses. President has no powers to approve of the 150 (3) of the constitution. Those expenses are illegal," MP Kabir Hashim stressed. 

"Rs. 721 billion loans were approved by the first vote on account. Loans of Rs. 1,300 were approved by the second vote on account. This is over Rs. 2,000 billion," he said.  

MP Kabir Hashim demanded the government to show what they had done with this much of money.

Hambanthota port sold but loan still paid - Prime Minister of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said that although the previous government had sold the Hambanthota port to China, they had not settled the loans with the money earned.  

Prime Minister and Minister of  Finance Mahinda Rajapaksa expressed these views in the parliament at the Second Reading and the Committee Stage Debate on the Appropriation Bill 2020.

"Annual debt service for the Hambanthota port is $ 90 million. The previous regime sold the port for $1,200 million. However, the money was not spent to pay back the loans and used for day to day budget expenses. Still, the Treasury of Sri Lanka annually pays that loan to the EXIM Bank of China," Rajapaksa said. 

The Prime Minister stated that the government had settled all the loans in contrary to the Oppoisition's speculations that Sri Lanka would default. 

The annual debt services of Sri Lanka is around $ 4.2 billion since this year, the Prime Minister said. He reported to the parliament that all foreign and other debt of 2020 had been settled. 

The government proposed to increase the upper ceiling of debt of 2020 by Rs. 180 billion. 

Sri Lanka spends over Rs. 70 billion for COVID-19 operations - Prime Minister

Sri Lanka government has so far spent about Rs. 70 billion for tracing contacts, quarantine, pilot tests and welfare, the Prime Minister and Minister of  Finance Mahinda Rajapaksa said in the parliament at the Second Reading and the Committee Stage Debate on the Appropriation Bill 2020.

Sri Lanka has increased the number of hospital capacity treating the COVID-19 patients to 17 and the number of ICU beds for 600, the Prime Minister said. The capacity for conducting PCR tests has been increased from 7,500 tests to 10,000 tests per day. 

One test costs around Rs. 6,000 and daily expenses for PCR tests have exceeded Rs. 50 million. The government bears a heavy cost for food and welfare of the persons who undergo a 14-day quarantine.

The government also bears the costs of Rs. 5,000 allowance paid to the people who lost livelihood due to lockdowns and the expenses of the public officials who engage in COVID-19 related activities, the Prime Minister stated.  

According to Health Promotion bureau statistics, a total number of PCR tests performed in Sri Lanka so far is 627,011. Over 15,000 cases have been reported by now and over 10,000 of them have recovered and discharged from hospitals. 

Sri Lanka quarantined over 100,000 persons including more than 40,000 expatriate Sri Lankans who returned to the island.