{"id":102506,"date":"2020-05-18T16:50:03","date_gmt":"2020-05-18T23:50:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=102506"},"modified":"2020-05-18T16:50:03","modified_gmt":"2020-05-18T23:50:03","slug":"reopening-sri-lanka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2020\/05\/18\/reopening-sri-lanka\/","title":{"rendered":"REOPENING SRI LANKA"},"content":{"rendered":"

BY A.A.M.NIZAM – MATARA <\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

We Sri Lankan should feel fortunate to have an altruistic, utterly-patriotic. determined, and iron-willed President at a time when the whole world is gripped with the deadly Corona pandemic. When this epidemic erupted in Wuhan in China\u2019s Hubei province and was spreading very fast to countries beyond China our futuristic visionary President took immediate action on 27th January to form an all-embracing Task Force comprising the tri-forces, the civil protection forces. The health sector establishment personnel, the Police, the officials of the strategic services, the provincial, district, regional administrators, Samurdhi, and Grama Sevaka services officials and entrusted them the joint and individual tasks that needed to be undertaken to save the people from the epidemic.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Incidentally, on the same day 27th<\/sup> January, the first Corona infected patient of this country, a 44-year-old female Chinese tourist was found and she was admitted to the IDH hospital for treatment.\u00a0 The Task Force made all arrangements necessary for establishing 45 quarantine centers with proper guidance from the health service personnel, army personnel constructed several extension units to hospitals, the Police mapped out operational plans to be undertaken under Curfew and other sectors also got in readiness to undertake their tasks.\u00a0\u00a0 However, there was no patient-reported for the whole month of February, which gave ample time for the Task Force to get properly established. The first local patient, a tourist guide serving for Italian tourists, was reported only on 11th February.\u00a0 Subsequent detections were all from people who have arrived from Iran, Italy, India, and South Korea and tourist guides who have served foreign tourists.\u00a0 (Please refer to a detailed description of how potential patients were traced, quarantined, and cured outlined by the Secretary to the Ministry of Defense Major General (Rtd) Kamal Gunaratne in an interview with Derana TV – highlights of the interview translated into English follows)at the tail-end of this article.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the meantime, the President who was very much concerned about the people\u2019s hardships under the curfew, established another all-embracing Task Force, headed by the former Minister of Economic Development Mr.Basil Rajapaksa to provide redress to the people. Among the functions undertaken by this Task Force included ensuring an uninterrupted and adequate supply of food, medicine, and other essential items to the people throughout the country, farmers provided with adequate fertilizer and another utensil, ensure rice, vegetables, fruits, eggs, and other farm products are purchased by government authorities for distribution at concessionary prices and for free distribution for destitute people, prevent high jacking of prices by middlemen, ensure transport of these items to all over the country, ensure the distribution of Rs. 5000 \/- per month distress allowance to the needy families, to prevent hoarding, creating artificial shortages and shooting up of prices by unscrupulous traders, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 The people throughout the country belonging to\nall walks of life, all ethnicities and all religions appreciating the efforts\nbeing taken by the government to save the people and curb the spread of the\nvirus joined hands with the government efforts by making enormous sacrifices\nand foregoing many of their activities.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buddhists refrained from visiting temples on Bak and Wesak Full Moon Poya days to offer various poojas, observing Sil at temple premises, listening to overnight pirith and Poya Day Damma sermons at temples.\u00a0 Instead, they performed all these activities including offering Aamisa and Prathipatti poojas in their houses.\u00a0 There were no Pandols, Dansals, and other roadside and public places Wesak illuminations but they carried out these activities in their home gardens and decorated their houses.\u00a0 There were no Wesak tour bus services and community tours to prominent temples including Sri Pada, Sri Maha Boduya and Sri Dalada Maligawa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations faded into inhouse events. There were no crackers, no cross country races, no pillow fights, no pol pora events, no climbing of greased poles, no swimming and boat roving contests, no chariot (thirikkal) races, no coconut scraping and weaving of thatches, no breaking of pot by the blind, no placing of the eye for elephant by the blind, no search for the hidden guest, no spoon and lemon and gunny bag races, no bun eating and bursting of balloon contests, no selection of New Year Queen or Avurudu Kumarata to name a few traditional events.\u00a0 Kevum, Kokis, and other food items were prepared for the consumption of family members.\u00a0 There were no oil annointing functions at the village or area temples and it was done in the houses itself by the elders.\u00a0 Even money transactions known has Ganu Denu were carried out among family members. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was reported that President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa did not visit his ancestral home, Medamulana this year to celebrate New Year with his brothers, family members, relations and villagers and instead, he held several meetings in Colombo to review progress and shortcomings to Coerona arrest, food and medicine distributions, curfew control by the Police and other contingencies.\u00a0 It was also reported that the President donated his salary for three months to the Virus Control Fund and a cheque amounting to Rs. 292,5000 in this respect was handed over to his private secretary P.B.Jayasundera to deposit in the Fund.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Christians too gave up many traditional religious observances and commemorations performed at the Churches including visiting churches for Sunday mass, observing Lent, Maundy Thursday, Goof Friday, and Easter Sunday commemorations and instead they were held at their residences. There was also no staging of crucifixion displays and pandols displaying Jesus Christ\u2019sresurrection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Muslims\nrescind from attending Friday Jumma congregational prayers and the five times a\nday congregational prayers at mosques and many social and community activities\nrelated to the Holy month of Ramadan and performed such activities individually\nin their residences.  The activities\nincluded performance of long hours congregational night prayers Tharaweeh by\nmen and woman, performance of congregational Qiyam ul Lail prayers after\nmidnight during the last 10 days of Ramadan and congregational pre-dawn Thajjud\nprayers in the mosques. There were no whole night congregational prayers and\nsupplications on the 27th<\/sup> day of Ramadan called Lailathul Qadr, the\nblessed night,  holding community Ifthar\nbreakfasts, group Ifthars in mosques, group recital of Holy Quran called Hizb\nat mosques after Tharaweeh prayers, visiting friends houses for Tharaweeh\nsnacks and drinking sherbeths  etc.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tamils\ntoo did not have any communal public functions in respect of the New Year, and\nrefrained from holding Sivarathri poojas at kovils, and holding Ther (chariot)\nprocessions and offered all their poojas individually in their residences\nwithout going to Kovils. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many\nphilanthropists also came forward to offer considerable assistance to the Virus\ncontrol, programme. The business tycoon Dhammika Perera placed orders worth Rs.\n29 Million for the import od several ventilators, ICU facilities and many\nmodern hospital beds.  Mr. Dulith\nJayaweera, offered his 150 Roiom Citrus Hotel in Hikkaduwa with necessary\nmodifications to use as a quarantine centre, Hemas and John Keels also offered their\nhotels in the Eastern province to be used as quarantine centres.  Kalutara District MP Vidura Wickremanayake\nand many others offered their ancestral bungalows to be used as quarantine\ncentres. Several Apparel industries, including Brandix changed their production\nschedules to manufacture face masks and corona protection kits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several media institutions and civil service organizations made arrangements to distribute rice dry ration, vegetable, and fruit parcels to households in many areas.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However,\nit is sad to note, that despite all sacrifices being made by people all over\nthe country devoid of ethnic and religious differences, the opposition\npoliticians in this country were the only disgraceful and loathsome ruffians in\nthe world who politicized the virus threat and wholeheartedly aspired for its\nextensive escalation throughout the country in vicious anticipation of the\ncollapse and fall of the government and did not come forward even to offer a\nbottle of water or a Maalupaan (fish bun) to the distressed people.  They wanted Sri Lanka to become the worst\naffected country in the world even surpassing the situation in their country of\nmentors, America and Britain. They condemned all the gallant and splendid\nmeasures being taken to combat the virus threat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nChinese President Xi Jinpinh who sent several plane loads of face masks, corona\nprevention kits, testing machines, disinfections and other equipment has\ntelephoned the President and commended the excellent and exemplary work being\ncarried out for combating the virus threat. He has said that China and Sri Lanka,\nwhile ensuring COVID-19 prevention and control, should gradually resume\npractical cooperation in various fields, advance major cooperation projects, in\nan orderly manner, and promote the high-quality construction of the Belt and\nRoad initiative, and has added that such efforts would provide impetus for Sri\nLanka\u2019s economic recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chinese news agency Xinhua\nreported that Xi recalled that various sections of Sri Lankan society offered\nChina active support at a critical moment in China\u2019s fight against the\ncoronavirus disease, with many moves particularly heart-warming and touching\nmeasures. The report stated that the Chinese President noted that under\nGotabaya\u2019s strong leadership, Sri Lanka had effectively contained the spread of\nthe epidemic, adding that China stood ready to continue to provide firm support\nand as much assistance as its capacity allowed for the South Asian country in\nline with its needs and expressed his confidence that the people of Sri Lanka\nwould certainly defeat the epidemic at an early date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\nIt said that Xi also thanked the Sri Lankan government and people for taking care of\nChinese citizens in their country, during the pandemic, and said the Chinese\nside would continue to ensure the safety and health of Sri Lankan citizens on\nits soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Rodiya caste pseudo\nBuddhist Pa.Cha.Ranawaka who has a record of joining political parties and\nbetraying them (For instance- JVP,Sinhala Urunaya, Hela Urumaya) and now in the\nShameless Jabbering Bandits (SJB) group attempting to become its deputy leader\nbypassing founders such Harin Fernando, Mangala Samaraweera and Rahitha\nSenaratne has been continuously critical of the government\u2019s activities and\nmaking hollow gallery talks similar to his political root fellows Jeppos\nperhaps to get support from the politically infantile members of the Bandits\ngroup.  Statements that had been made by\nthis Rodiya caste nincompoop include that the government figures on Corona\nVirus incorrect, Only President\u2019s prime Minister\u2019s family members and staff are\nbeing thoroughly checked about virus infection, government deliberately\nsubjecting security forces to become virus infected victims.   Another statement made by this nincompoop\nwas that the President had been an American citizen at the time of his election\nand he should be forced to vacate the posy. \nHe got a thundering slap for this statement from the American Ambassador\nAliana B, Teplitz.  She said that as per\ntheir records Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa relinquished his American citizenship\nfrom April 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The imbecile ignoramus\nself assumed leader of the Shameless Jabbering Bandits (SJB) Sajith Premadasa\nhas suggested that the government should suspend holding elections and that\nexpense should be used to pay the salaries of the servants. The firmer Minister\nof Finince Mr, Ravi Karunanayake criticizing this statement which has exposed\nSajith Premadasa\u2019s lacuna of economics has skinned him saying that several\ntimes of the amount required for holding the election is required to pay public\nservants salary.  He has hinted that it\nis better for Sajith Premadasa to refrain from talking about unknown economics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other morons who are\nworried about the success being achieved by the government are the despicable\nJeppos.  Belimal Ratnayake who had been\nalleged to have functioned as a Gonibilla in 89-90 period and betrayed innocent\nJVP supporters has said the Corona in African countries is less than in Sri\nLanka exposing his dimwit nature as it is only now the corona virus has entered\nthe African continent.  In another\nstatement this blockhead has said that some mercenaries who are being paid by\nthe Rajapaksas were criticizing the JVP since they are he says a significant\nforce.  On top of this his leader Mr. 3%\nhas accused that the President was not respecting the constitution and the\ncountry is now in a lawless status.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reopening the country\nfrom 11th<\/sup> May by confining curfew only to Colombo and Gampaha\ndistricts was a great success.   The CGR\nand the SLTB played significant roles in this measure.  10 office trains carrying public and private\nsector staff arrived from Beliatte , Kandy and other destinations and there\nwere adequate SLTB bses to take them to their offices and work places.  In the evening they were taken back to their homes\nby return services.  All measures had\nbeen taken to disinfect the offices and work places by 10th<\/sup> May and\nprovide safety measures at work places. \nOnly wayside shops remained closed in these two districts but that too\nare expected to be opened in this gradual process of reopening the country. The\nCGR has also announced normal train services to be commenced from 18th<\/sup>\nmay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, the State\nAirlines, the Sri Lankan Airlines played a significant role by bringing back\nstranded Sri Lankan students and public servants who were on training in\nforeign countries.  All those who were\nbrought in this manner wer subjected to disinfection and then ferried to\nquarantine to undergo a minimum 14 days quarantine period.  The airline has announced that its normal\nservices will start from the 18th<\/sup> May.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was sad to note that\na meeting convened by the Prime Minister to enlighten the former\nparliamentarians by the health service and security personnel on the measures\nbeing taken to combat the virus threat, keep them advised about the current\nsituation and obtain their views and views and suggestions was boycotted by the\nformer parliamentarians of the opposition except by members of the TNA. After\nthe meeting the Prime Minister told the media that the boycott of the meeting\nby the opposition displayed their utter disregard for the welfare and\nprotection of the people of this country. \n <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Educational, Health\nand Security sectors are reported to be cautiously reviewing on the possibility\nof reopening Universities and schools as they are very much concerned about the\nvulnerability of students to the virus in a situation of difficulties to\nmaintain minimum distance requirements and other essential virus prevention\nrequirements. They are also reported to be planning to open this sector taking\ninto considerations the guidelines that had been issued by the WHO. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, all\narrangements have been made to commemorate the 11th<\/sup> Victory Day (on\n19th<\/sup> May), celebration of which had been suspended since 2015 by the\nterrorist servile and TNA obsessed Sirisena\/Ranil government The function will\nbe held under the leadership of President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.   Over\n1,000 persommel belonging to all units of the security forces are to be\npromoted on this day.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Major General\n(Rtd) Kamal Gubaratne participating in the Derana 360 peogramme, interviewed by\nveteran TV journalist Dilka Samanmalie said that when you have a determined\nleadership to support, when you have the right dedicated personnel and when you\nplan it properly there can be nothing that can prevent you from achieving your\nobjectives.  He said that when the deadly\ncorona virus erupted in Wuhan in the Hubei province of China and was fast\nspreading all over and beyond China and killing people the President took a\nbold decision on 27th<\/sup> January that we should make all efforts to defeat\nthe virus and prevent the people of our country falling prey to it.\nAccordingly, he formed a Task Force integrating the tri-forces, the health sector\npersonnel, the Police, the intelligence service units, the civil defense force,\nofficials of the strategic service departments, provincial, district and\nregional departments and samurdhi service and grama seva department\nofficials.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Incidentally, the\nfirst corona infected person from our country was reported on 28th<\/sup>\nJanuary that was a 44 year Chinese female tourist who was admitted to the IDH\nHospital.  For the whole of February no\nvirus infected person was reported on 8th<\/sup> February and by that time\nwe were in full readiness on how to tackle the situation, on the mechanism to\nbe undertaken, roles to be played by the health service personnel, the\nintelligence services and each and other allied services. We were fully\nprepared. Then there were increase and decrease in the number of infected\npersons.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said that they\nhave full confidence that unlike America, United Kingdom. France, Italy, Spain\nwhere thousands of people have died despite being the powerful, rich,\nresourceful countries in the world.  The\nreason for that those countries completely entrusted the task of curbing the\nspread of the virus.  That was the\ndifference between the measures adopted by them and the measures being\nundertaken by us. The Defense Secretary explained that it was a race between\nthe virus and us.  The virus was running\nfast but their forces ran faster ahead of the virus and took measures to curb\nit.  This was done by intelligence\ngathered and identified on the potential areas of virus attacks and taking\naction to combat it.  That was why, he\nsaid, that when all the powerful countries were genuflecting before the virus,\nwe proudly stood straight and firm.  It\nwas possible because we as in developed countries did not palm it out only to\nthe health sector and said that the PHIs, MOHs and Nurses too rendered an\nenormous contribution.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Major General\nGunaratne said that the first local patient was reported on March 8th<\/sup>\nand today being May4th there had been only 7 corona virus deaths and the 8th<\/sup>\ndeath reported on that had been due to renal disease.  He said that this splendid achievement was\npossible due to form leadership and guidance being given to them.  He pointed out that there were many criticisms\nfrom some politicians that we are putting patients in danger as we do not have\nsufficient ICU facilities,   He said that upto now only one patient has\nbeen treated in  the ICU. Countering an\nallegation that had been made by former MP Patali Champika Ranawaka that the\ncountry is being militarized under the guise of Corona eradication, the Major\nGeneral regretfully said it is sad to find some people expect the people of our\ncountry expect the security forces to leave the citizens of this country die on\nroads like cats and dogs.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Explaining about\nthe spread of the virus the Major General said that a priest from Switzerland\nhad cisited Jaffna and had   held prayer\nsessions for which many people have participated.  The person who served acplyte of this got\nwith the virus and upon making enquiries it was found that the said priest has\ndied from Corona upon returning to Switzerland. \nThen the intelligence officers with great difficulty found more than 250\npersons who have attended prayer sessions. \nAll those 250 people were sent to quarantine centres and out of them 16\nwere identified as virus infected patients. \nHe said that Jaffna is an area with high density of population and if\nthey did not manage to identify and treat those 16 persons it would have been a\ngreat calamity in Jaffna.  Explaining\nfurther he said that on 19th<\/sup> may 2009 at 19.39 a.m. they put an end\nto terrorism in this country.  After that\nthe political leaders in Jaffna said that there is no war there and the army\nshould be withdrawn.  Even today these\npolitical leaders are making this demand in foreign countries. He said that\nnone of those 16 affected persons volunteered to identify themselves and if the\nintelligence officers did not make a large number of people in Jaffna would\nhave perished by now.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Explaining about\nthe modus operandi undertaken to trace the affected patients her said that when\nthey come across a patient he said that the intelligence service personnel\n(ISP) enquire about people he\/she had associated recently, he\/she had visited\nrecently and then they check his telephone records to ascertain hos\/her vosots\netc.  He said that some provide accurate\ninformation but some others do not do so. \nFor some people from Colonbo may say that he\/she went to Kurunegala\nwhereas he\/she had actually gone to Hambantota. \nIt was facong such difficulties, he said, that the ISPs traced the\npeople.   Giving statistics pertaining to patients in\nhospitals and those who have left for homes, he said that almost 50% have been\ncured and left for homes.   He asked in\nwhich country that 50% had been cured and left for hones other than in Sri\nLanka. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Commenting on\nlockdown of villages, the Defense Secretary said that when there was suspicion\nof lsrge number of people in certain areas could get affected such areas were\nlocked down and sometimes all of them in that village was brought under self\nquarantine under the observation of PHIs and Police officers and people were\nnot allowed to go out from or come into that area. He said that in certain\ninstances the potential threatened miber of people were high all the people in\nthe village, or in a street or on a certain floor of a flat were takren to\nquarantine centres for a ,minimum period of 14 days quarantine and after that\nthey are brought back to their residences with advise to undergo a further 14\ndays of self quarantine at their residenes, and some people who have not\nfollowed these rules strictly have got attacked again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Explaining about\nlarge number of Navy personnel getting affected by the Virus, Mr\/ Gunaratne\nsaid that a youngster in Suduwella, Ja Ela area was apprehended by the police\nfor possessing drugs and then he was found to be infected with Corona virus and\nhe has associated a large number of drug addict persons.  Many of them were found to be virus infected\nand when it was requested for them to go to quarantine centres they refused and\nbecame violent.  It was he at this time\nrequested Navy personnel in the Welisara camp to go to Suduwella and make\narrangements to take them for quarantine even by force if it becomes necessary.\nOnly some of them in them in the camp had face masks, gloves and virus\nprevention kits.  Others despite lack of\nprotection attire did not refuse to go there voluntarily regardless of\npotential they would encounter.  That was\nhow they became infected.  He said that\nmost of them were not critically affected and they are getting cured and\nreturning to their camp safely.  Explaining\nfurther he said that in the camps of the security forces they have closely laid\ncamp beds one above the other, a common mess for consuming meals, and common\ntoilets.  That was also one factor that\nmade them vulnerable. However he said if the Navy personnel had refused to go\nto Suduwella without protection gear by now the virus could have invaded\nWattala, Mabola, Kandama. Ekala and many other areas in the Gampaha district.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Responding to a\nquestion about the reopening of the country from 11th<\/sup> May, the\nDefense Secretary said that the President does not take unilateral decisions on\nnationally important issues and this decision for gradual re-opening of the\ncountry from 11th<\/sup> May onwards had been taken after extensive review\nof the situation and in consultation with all parties involved in the current\noperation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Referring to the\nallegations being made against our se4curity forces as communal, the Defence\nSecretary said that it was the security which combed all over Jaffna and\nidentified over 250 people who could have become virus victims and took all\nsteps necessary to quarantine and cure them without just leaving them that they\nare  Tamils and let anything to\nthem.  He said a female PHI in Jaffna\ntelephoned him and personally requested to continue with the curfew in Jaffna\nsaid that she wants to get her peopled. \nHer said that on 19th<\/sup> 2009 the war was ended for all people\nof this country. Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim, Malay and Burgher from Point Pedro to\nPoint of Dondra to live  as one nation as\nSri Lankans devoid of ethnic, religious and other differences.   <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BY A.A.M.NIZAM – MATARA We Sri Lankan should feel fortunate to have an altruistic, utterly-patriotic. determined, and iron-willed President at a time when the whole world is gripped with the deadly Corona pandemic. When this epidemic erupted in Wuhan in China\u2019s Hubei province and was spreading very fast to countries beyond China our futuristic visionary […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-102506","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aamnizam"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102506","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=102506"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102506\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=102506"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=102506"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=102506"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}