Sri Lankans in South Korea to be brought back since next week

Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau (SLFEB) says that repatriation of Sri Lankan expatriate workers from South Korea will start next week. The media spokesman of SLFEB, Mangala Randeniya said that the chief of National Operation Center for the Prevention of COVID-19, Army Commander Shavendra Silva had granted permission for this. 

Randeniya further said that some Sri Lankans who had signed agreements with the employers were waiting to go to South Korea. The Sri Lankan expatriate workers in South Korea whose job agreements are expired now must be brought to Sri Lanka to facilitate the others to go there. 

Over 1,000 Sri Lankan workers whose contracts have expired are waiting for flights to return to Sri Lanka, sources say.

Twenty-three thousand Sri Lankans work in South Korea now. 

Sri Lanka government creates controversy over dead bodies of COVID-19 patients

Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's elder brother and Minister Chamal Rajapaksa said to media that the cabinet had approved providing a suitable place to bury the dead bodies of Muslim persons who die with COVID-19. The Minister said that the decision had been taken at the last cabinet meeting held on Monday. 

Meanwhile, Minister Wimal Weerawansa said that the cabinet had discussed the issue but not taken such a decision. He highlighted that no decision had been taken to change the present policy of cremating all COVID-19 dead bodies. 

However, government MP Premnath C. Dolawatta said that he had complained to the acting Inspector General of Police against the letter by Ceylon Thawheed Jamath thanking the government for granting permission for the burial of the COVID-19 dead bodies of Muslims. He said that the letter was causing communal disharmony.

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.