192 COVID-19 deaths, 4612 new cases
COLOMBO – Sri Lanka’s Covid-spike continued to gather momentum, with the Director-General of Health Services confirming 4612 new cases on Sunday (29), taking the country’s virus count to 426,169, with 59,796 active cases receiving medical care at hospitals, treatment centres, and homes. Sunday also saw 192 deaths being recorded, slightly down from the 200+ reported in the past three days, taking the fatality count to 8,775.
Sugar at Rs 130 per kilo from Wednesday
COLOMBO – The government on Sunday (29) announced a kilogramme of sugar will be sold at Rs 130.00 at all Sathosa retail outlets beginning Wednesday (Sept 1). State Minister of Co-operative Services, Marketing Development and Consumer Protection, Lasantha Alagiyawanna, making the announcement at a media briefing on Sunday, said a number of traders who had been hoarding sugar worsening crisis have been booked and the government will take legal action against them in due course.
Veddha chief’s wife contracts Covid
COLOMBO – The wife of Veddha Chief Uru Warige Wannila Aththo, and several others in the community in Dambana have tested positive for the novel coronavirus and have been admitted to hospital for treatment. Wannila Aththo confirmed his wife is among 44 others from the community in the Dambana area who had tested positive for COVID-19, when Rapid Antigen Tests were conducted on over 100 people.
SriLankan offers ‘Buy One Get One Free’ tickets to Indian tourists
COLOMBO – Sri Lankan Airlines has launched a ‘Buy One Get One Free’ ticket promotion to lure Indian tourists to Sri Lanka. The offer, valid only for Indian nationals travelling on a tourist visa, was announced via Twitter on Sunday (29) with the airlines urging travellers to reserve their tickets early.
Urgent Covid assistance sought from Lankans overseas
COLOMBO – The government has sought urgent assistance from expatriate Sri Lankans to help deal with the coronavirus crisis, with Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle, State Minister of Primary Health Care, Epidemics and Covid Disease Control, appealing to Sri Lankans at home and abroad to assist in rescuing the people of the country. Dr. Fernandopulle, made the appeal while receiving a stock of essential medical equipment worth Rs 4.6 million donated by the National Christian Alliance of Sri Lanka. The equipment included two high flow Oxygen machines, two 10L Oxygen Concentrators, six 5L Oxygen Concentrators, six Oxymeters and other essential medical equipment that could be used to treat respiratory problems in patients with COVID-19 infection.
-ENCL