Disinfectants don’t stop COVID-19 transmission

Security personnel and health workers disinfecting public places has become a common sight, widely captured by the media.

Did the Tigers form TNA in 2001?

Former Jaffna District Parliamentarian and Spokesperson of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and Illankai Thamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK), Mathiaparanan Abraham Sumanthiran is currently in the eye of a political storm. The YouTube interview given by the 56-year-old President’s Counsel cum politician to the “Truth with Chamuditha” show conducted by senior journalist Chamuditha Samarawickrama is the reported cause of the controversy.

“Eliminating”.....”crushing” COVID is possible and these countries are the Superstars

Ever since the key numbers for the Covid-19 virus became clear in mid-February, it was obvious that all countries would end up trying to control its spread.

No land in place called home

These are days when small batches of Sri Lankan emigrants are heading home due to the threat posed by COVID-19. The return of these batches is facilitated by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. In such an environment one wonders what the future would be for thousands of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees living in India and wishing to return to home. Most of them are in Tamil Nadu, one of the worst effected Indian states by COVID-19.

Sri Lanka launches ’Restart Sri Lanka’ as economic activities resume

After 52 days of economic uncertainty as businesses and shops remained closed due to the deadly COVID-19 outbreak, Sri Lanka re-opened for business on Monday, much to the relief of the public. With COVID-19 now w

Stigmatized and stereotyped: everyday realities of SL Muslims

A year has passed since anti-Muslim violence broke out after the Easter Sunday bombings. It was on May 13, 2019 violence spread in a major way with rioters....

Easing of the Lockdown: Dipping a toe in risky waters

The decision by the government to ease lockdown restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation was obviously motivated mainly....

Post- lockdown Sri Lanka: Whither Economy?

Sri Lanka would be limping back to normalcy in the coming days as much of the restrictions were relaxed, and a curfew that lasted for seven weeks was finally removed in all but Colombo and Gampaha districts, effective from yesterday.

PHIs work in frontline woes in backburner

The COVID-19 pandemic has snatched away scores of lives globally, with the number of positive cases increasing daily. Amid the crisis, healthcare professionals like doctors, nurses and Public Health Inspectors (PHI) are working around the clock to save

COVID-19: Irresponsible public behaviour could lead to community spread - Dr. Eranga Narangoda

The Daily Mirror spoke to the Consultant Physician Dr. Eranga Narangoda of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID) Angoda, the premier Infectious Diseases Hospital in the country, to discuss COVID-19 pandemic. The excerpts:

Galle Face’s ‘green green Grass’

Last Saturday’sDaily Mirror on-line picture spoke a lot; Galle Face devoid of visitors—how it has taken a lush green colour as it was before 1970s. Will it, as the paper speculates, ‘Once the people are allowed to resume work from Monday even amidst curfew in Colombo, it is likely that the Galle Face Green will change its colour back to brown as it would be filled with visitors’?

Will President Gazette a Fresh Date For Convening a ‘New’ Parliament If Elections Are Postponed Again?

The Elections Commission has scheduled June 20 as the new date for the postponed election of April 25. Eight Fundamental Rights petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court regarding the holding of elections on June 20.

Long walk to press freedom in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka was ranked 127 of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index 2020. Countries that topped the list included Norway, Finland and Denmark ....

Impact of COVID-19 lockdown

The cost of the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown of five weeks and counting is causing tremendous hardships for low-income citizens.

COVID-19 Lockdown Mental health and ways to maintain our mental wellness

Counselling Psychologist Starrina Pereira (SP) and Artist / Life Coach Yasodhara Pathanjali (YP) answer questions on mental health and ways to maintain our mental wellness during the lockdown.

COVID-19: Long-term economic cost is worse than its fatalities

The COVID-19 pandemic is a double whammy. It has decimated communities, killed nearly a quarter of a million people and infected millions more while continuing to do so at an exponential rate. It has overloaded health facilities in the

COVID-19 Lessons: ‘Free and Fair’ Avurudu, May Day, Vesak and Elections

My neighbour and former Lawyer’s clerk was making a huge noise with his political bête noire, a retired municipal employee next door.

COVID-19: Fear, ignorance or who is fooling whom?

COVID-19 emanated from China and was made known to the World on December 31, 2019. In 120 days, it has ratcheted past three million case numbers and 210,000 reported deaths globally.

First Sri Lankan to cross Greenland’s Arctic Circle Trail

Sharlyn Perera Stafford, Entrepreneur and Co-founder of Stafford and Chan training and coaching organization based in Singapore and Sri Lanka, has become the first Sri Lankan to participate in the Pioneering Greenland Expedition organized by UN, HER Planet Earth in March 2020.

Coronavirus and invasion of privacy

With the number of COVID-19 patients in Sri Lanka relatively fast mounting, the behaviour of local media during the coverage.....

A. E. GOONESINHA FATHER OF THE LABOUR MOVEMENT IN SRI LANKA

Another May Day has dawned in Sri Lanka. A day that is dedicated to the workers of Sri Lanka and a day that was initiated by the Father of the Labour....

COVID-19 hits people, but lifts nature

With the global spread of COVID-19 having drastically affected people’s work and travel, economic activity in most fields, except some essential services, is stagnant.

US-China cold war over Covid-19 pandemic

Even if the world is coming to an end tomorrow, the big powers, it appears, won’t give up their pursuit of power.

Resilient Sri Lanka Highs and lows during lockdown!

One of the best lessons COVID-19 teaches us is how important employment is for a developing nation like Sri Lanka.

Lankan medic’s prediction becomes reality

When Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa, Registrar in Medical Administration, Postgraduate Institute of Medicine at Colombo University predicted a possible outbreak of a novel coronavirus back in 2013, neither the authorities nor the public gave much attention. The article was first published in a Sinhala newspaper during the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak in certain other parts of the world.

Coronavirus Diary- Part 2: Wanathamulla and Hobson’s Choice

When I started writing this Coronavirus Diary, I had no idea how it was going to develop. We think one thing leads to the other. But Coronavirus is different. It always gets back to itself.

Municipal workers suffer in silence

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, there has been much focus on the efforts of healthcare workers and security personnel who are working tirelessly to contain the virus spread.

Reconvening Parliament and the way forward

The date that the President declared that the General Elections were to be held, in pursuance to his proclamation by Extraordinary Gazette on 02 of March, i.e. 25th April came and went.

Implosion of COVID cases at Welisara Navy Camp: Something is not right

Sri Lanka’s initial COVID-19 response was, by and large, a success. Immediately after the discovery of the first case, a Chinese tourist from Wuhan, the government responded promptly. It set up a task force, sent an aircraft to evacuate

Extended beaches at the cost of coral reefs?

News that Cabinet had approved a beach filling project along 4 km of the coastal belt from Angulana to Mt Lavinia, and 2 km in the Calido Beach, Kalutara has alarmed environmentalists and the public. The project stemmed from the erosion