Standard & Poor’s has lower Sri Lanka further in its rankings
The international rating agency, Standard & Poor’s has taken steps to lower Sri Lanka further in its rankings. Sri Lanka, which was in CCC +, has been downgraded to CCC in the latest rankings. This is due to the very low foreign reserves in Sri Lanka. The agency points out that Sri Lanka could face a challenging economic situation in the coming year. They also say that future debt repayments could be affected.
Sri Lanka Reported 214 covid 19 related deaths
. Another 214 corona deaths are confirmed by the Director General of Health. At the same time the number of corona deaths in the country rises to 8371. It was the highest number of deaths per day.
Curfew extended by a week
It has been decided to extend the imposed quarantine curfew by a further one week, effective until 04:00 a.m. 06 September. The decision was reached during the COVID19 Task Force meeting which was held under the patronage of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa this AFTERNOON. Meanwhile, Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella has shared a Twitter message regarding extending the imposed quarantine curfew. He stated, “Following an observation that #lka citizens have not taken the curfew to heart, in order for this to be effective, I implore again to refrain from unnecessary travel, work from home & abide by the curfew.” Rambukwella however recently said that nothing had been achieved through the lockdown that is in place.
“Nothing was achieved through lockdown…”
Minister of Health Keheliya Rambukwelle says that in his personal opinion, the quarantine curfew currently in place would not extend past the 30th of this month (August) He added that most countries have now accepted the fact that lockdowns are not the answer to curbing the spread of Covid-19. “My personal opinion is that we have not achieved any success by doing so. Most important of all, I see this as our personal responsibility, duty, our conduct, and the actions we take for this. My personal opinion is this, I think we have to manage all of this and fulfill our responsibilities as individuals as citizens and recognize our limits and move on. I think a country would have to go for such a program” Sri Lanka’s HealthMinister said. Meanwhile, Health Services Director General Dr. Asela Gunawardene stated that a decision on the extension or cancellation of the quarantine curfew will be taken tomorrow (27) at the Presidential Task Force meeting, where the Covid-19 current status will be taken up for analysis
Explosives found during an STF operation
Police Special Task Force (STF) personnel found a large haul of ammunition nitrate, gelatine sticks, service threads and other items in the Matara and Gandara police areas. The raids were carried out based on intelligence received by the STF Special Operations Unit and the two suspects were arrested there. The explosives and the suspects have been handed over to the Matara Police Station for further investigations.
The current lockdown program is a complete failure- The Government Nurses’ Association
The Government Nurses’ Association states that the current lockdown program is a complete failure. Its chairman, Saman Ratnapriya, said the health sector had demanded that the country not be shut down. He also said that the closure of this country was a complete lie. He blamed the government for not recognizing patients, saying that a large number of corona infected people die at home. He made these comments at a press conference held in Colombo.
Religious leaders protests against Deshabandu Thennakoon
Religious leaders are protesting against comments made by DIG Deshabandu Tennakoon and a group of police officers regarding the terrorist attacks on Easter Sunday. A group including the DIG visited Kandy and Anuradhapura recently to inform the Mahanayake Theras that an attempt was being made to blame a group of police officers for the attack. Ecumenical leaders have issued a statement protesting the move, saying it appears to be aimed at pushing the investigation to a racist and religious level.
Senior DIG Ajith Rohana speaked to the media
Senior DIG Ajith Rohana, who is currently hospitalized with a corona infection, talked to Swarnavahini this morning. He stated that he was not in critical condition and was not admitted to the intensive care unit. He said that the socialization of misconceptions about corona infections would cause great inconvenience to those infected and their families, adding that although he as a police officer could bear the situation, many in the country could not manage the situation. Therefore, he urged the people to be very careful when publishing news regarding the infected.
The oxygen requirment in the country has increased 06 times
The amount of oxygen required for patients hospitalized with corona infection in the country has increased 06 times by yesterday. With the spread of the Delta variety, the need for oxygen has greatly increased due to the severity of the infection rate. The country’s oxygen requirement was 22 tons,at the time of the onset of the corona pandemic. However, the highest amount of oxygen used daily was recorded the day before yesterday using 120 tons. At present the daily production of oxygen companies in Sri Lanka is 78 tons. Based on this situation, the government has taken steps to import oxygen from India and Singapore.
Sri Lanka reported 198 covid 19 related deaths
Another 198 corona deaths are confirmed by the Director General of Health. At the same time the number of corona deaths in the country rises to 7948. It was the highest number of deaths reported in a single day.