Britain added seven countries, including Egypt and Sri Lanka, to its “red list” of destinations that require hotel quarantine on return to England on Thursday

The United States announced Wednesday that it plans to send 25 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to countries around the world, including Sri Lanka, by the end of June.

The owners of Singapore-registered MV X-Press Pearl which caught fire off Colombo Port have agreed to make an interim payment to Sri Lanka for the damage done to the marine environment of the country, an official said.

The COVID-19 death toll in Sri Lanka climbed to 1,608 with 42 more deaths being confirmed by the Director-General of Health Services today (03), the Government Information Department said.

Minister Namal Rajapaksa was sworn in as the State Minister of Digital Technology and Entrepreneur Development before President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat today (03).

The National Building Research Organization (NBRO) has issued landslide warnings for six districts – Colombo, Galle, Kalutara, Matara, Nuwara Eliya, and Ratnapura.

Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa has requested the government to call an all party conference and formulate a plan to safeguard the public from the coronavirus pandemic.

No decision has been taken yet with regard to the administering of only the first dose of Sputnik V vaccine, State Minister of Production, Supply, and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals Prof. Channa Jayasumana said on Tuesday.

Even if the ill-fated MV X-Press Pearl did not reveal the goods it was carrying before reaching Sri Lankan waters, the responsibility still lies with the Government for failing to ensure that the ship complies with international laws, claimed JVP Propaganda Secretary Vijitha Herath.

The COVID-19 death toll in Sri Lanka climbed to 1,566 with 39 more deaths being confirmed by the Director-General of Health Services today (02), the Government Information Department said.

Islandwide travel restrictions will be further extended until June 14, Army Commander General Shavendra Silva said.

A chemical-laden X-Press Pearl cargo ship is sinking off the coast of Sri Lanka amid fears of a major environmental disaster.

All Post offices and Sub Post offices across the country will function from tomorrow (03), to provide limited services.

A burnt-out container ship that has already caused Sri Lanka’s worst maritime environmental disaster was in imminent danger of sinking on Wednesday with several hundred tonnes of oil still in its fuel tanks, the navy said.

The Health Trade Union Confederation (HTUC) comprising over 20 trade unions in the health service will go on a strike tomorrow (3), making 15 demands including safety facilities during the battle against COVID-19 and risk allowances to all health services.