Local News 42
SriLankan Cargo operations worker tests positive for COVID-19
Colombo (News 1st); SriLankan Airlines confirmed media reports stating that an employee of the airline at SriLankan Cargo operations division at the Bandaranaike International Airport tested positive for the COVID-19 virus on Monday (12) morning.
The staff member in concern is a resident of the Gampaha district and is currently admitted to the hospital and receiving necessary treatment.
It is believed that he has contracted the virus from external sources, said SriLankan Airlines.
50 co-workers who worked on the shift roster with the affected member of staff have been subjected to PCR tests and the results are awaited, the national carrier added.
The airline has taken every step to protect the workforce as per government COVID-19 health care guidelines to prevent the spread of the virus within the organization and continues to work closely with health and other government agencies.
IRD suspends public services until further notice
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The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has temporarily suspended its public services until further notice.
In a statement, the Commissioner General of the Department said the decision was taken owing to the prevailing situation in the country prompted by the re-emergence of COVID-19 positive cases.
Accordingly, the Inland Revenue Department was closed off for the general public from Wednesday (07).
However, all required services for the general public could be obtained through e-services, the statement read further.
More information on such services can be obtained from the official website of the Department – www.ird.gov.lk – and by contacting the IRD’s call centre via 1944.
Black leopard trapped in snare rescued
A black leopard trapped in a snare at Walamale in Lakshapna Estate, Nallathanniya was rescued by the wildlife official and taken to Nallathanniya Wildlife Office for treatment. Wildlife officials said the leopard aged eight years was about eight feet in length and four feet in height. They said the animal would be released to the Sri Pada Sanctuary after treatment.
Now most Chinese have left this country — major projects at a standstill
As a result of a large number of Chinese labourers who served this country have not returned home to China and have not returned to Sri Lanka; as a result of which several mega projects have collapsed, Sri Lanka central bank says. Close upon 8000 Chinese labourers are serving mega projects and other projects and the majority of them they have gone to China towards the end of last January.
The Chinese labourers who have left to their motherland because of new corona virus spreading
rapidly, activities of several projects had to be stopped, news sources say. Chinese labourers are employed in Colombo and congested areas under Chinese aid such as Colombo port city, five star hotels, housing complexes, flyovers, expressways and many other frontline development projects.
In the same way, arrival of Chinese tourists have dropped by ninety two percent compared to the month of last February. Sri Lanka central bank says. Though according to statistics, arrivals of tourists to this country numbered 28,039 arrivals of tourists last month was 2,096 last month, the bank says. When comparing, arrivals of Chinese tourists during the first two months of this year had dropped by 55.1 per cent, Sri Lanka central bank says. It is quoted in the report released by Sri Lanka central bank announcing its second monetary policies of this year that it was Chinese tourists who are credited with 9 per cent (167,863) of the total number of tourists last year.
It is mentioned in statistics released monthly by Sri Lanka tourist development that the total tourist arrivals in the month of January has slumped by 6.5 and 17.7 per cent in the month of February. The month of January in 2019 saw the arrivals of 244,239 tourists in this country while January this year recorded only 244,434. February last year recorded 252,033 of tourist arrivals while this year the number dropped to 207,507.
Has mysterious death of Chinese who lived in Karuwelagaswewa had any connection with Covid 19?
The mysterious dead body of a Chinese national was found from a farmyard in Kudamedawachchiya area in Karuwalagaswewa last 2nd of March and a suspicion has emerged as to whether there is a connection with the death and corona virus which is spreading around these days.
Though he is a Chinese national, he has been residing in Sri Lanka for a long period of time and is someone who has been maintaining a farm in an area covering 100 acres in the midst of a jungle where elephants used to move about.
It is learned that he was in possession of Sri Lankan citizenship. This person named Lee Jayan is supposed to be 65 years. Though he carried on this farm by employing Sri Lankans and it is learned that he is someone who disliked having connections with people here, it was revealed from investigations.
It is also said that he had not liked anybody coming to where this Chinese national lived. He says that he is someone who attends to his work on his own and it was said that preparation of food and domestic work is attended to by himself.
A Sri Lankan who functioned as the manager of the said farm has a week before become sick and as a result was hospitalised and the owner, the Chinese national has been carrying out the work of the manager. However since he was not be seen for a few days, the watcher in the farm has been cautious about it.
The watcher of the farm has then gone close to the house where the Chinese national lived and had peeped through a window and after noticing he was mysteriously dead, he had complained to police. The watcher has told police that it was seen that the Chinese person has dropped on to a chair.
Puttalam additional magistrate Mr. Mohammed Rafi ordered Karuwalagaswewa police to have a post mortem conducted by Puttalam judicial officer and to forward a report to Puttalam court.
According to the said complaint, police inquiries commenced and subsequently Karuwalagaswewa police notified Puttalam court about the outcome. This order was released by the additional magistrate who surveyed this location under consideration.
Police said that two vials were to be found at the place where the Chinese national died and police say that so far it has not been revealed whether any medicine was in it. This Chinese person has arrived in this country in 1992 and the suspicion has cropped up whether this is a case of a death from corona virus. However it has still not possible to collect such evidence. Whatever it is, the deceased has been to China during the period of about August – September, 2019 when it could be suspected as the initial corona germ had circulated and has returned.
He has secured citizenship as a Sri Lankan in the year 2015 and has for sometime served in the Chinese army, it has been revealed. Assistant judicial medical officer of Puttalam general hospital Dr. Kulendra Kanth and inquirer into sudden deaths, Mr. Nandana Wimaraweera inspected the body and the location concerned. A Karuwalagaswewa police team in conducting investigations.
Kavinga released on bail after paying fine 5 lakhs!
Kaduwela magistrate court last 4th ordered that Kavinga Perera, well-known actor who was detained in remand on charges a of hit and run case be released on bail.
Additional magistrate, district judge Mr. Prasanna Alwis ordered him a personal bond of Rs. 5 lakhs and the magistrate
ordered that a sum of Rs. five lakhs be paid to the wife of the deceased person.
Courts further ordered that Kavinga Perea’s driving licence be suspended for having caused an accident resulting in death.
Kavinga Perera had under heavy stupor of drunkennes driven his vehicle at rapid speed, running over some people who were drawing lines on a crossing opposite a petrol shed last 19th and on having run over a father of two who was there had then tried to flee from there when that crowd had got together and have handed him over to police.
The person run over had died while his wife who was with a two month old baby was thus left helpless. On that occasion when Kavinga was produced before court, he had given a sum of Rs. one lakh and after accepting guilt yesterday, he had paid Rs. 5 lakhs and the total then happens to be 6 lakhs.
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