28 August 2021 03:10 pm Views - 9071
The COVID Task force was placed at risk after Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardena, who attended the meeting yesterday (Friday), was later found to be infected.
Daily Mirror learns Gunawardena had met Minister Dullas Alahapperuma, State Minister Sudarshini Fernandopulle and Principal Advisor to the President Lalith Weeratunga for tea just before the meeting.
Sources said that both Alahapperuma and Lalith Weeratunga have now self-quarantined as they had lowered their masks to have tea while Fernandopulle had reportedly not had tea and had her mask on.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and Army Commander General Shavendra Silva were among those who attended the Covid meeting.
Bandula Gunawardena was seen seated next to Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and Media Minister Dullas Alahapperuma.
When contacted by Daily Mirror, Rambukwella said that he took an antigen test today and the result was negative.
The Minister said that Health Secretary Dr. S.H. Munasinghe and others from the Health Ministry who attended the meeting also took antigen tests today.
Incidentally, the Health Minister also attended an event today to accept Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines donated by the US.
The U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives Alaina Teplitz was among those who attended the event. (Easwaran Rutnam)