Number of Covid patients receiving treatment at hospitals exceeds 10,000
The number of Covid-19 patients being hospitalized in the country has exceeded 10,000. A total of 10,372 infected people are being treated at hospitals and treatment centers islandwide, making it the first time the number of infected people has reached such a high level since the outbreak. At present the number of Covid patients at the Colombo East Base Hospital has reached its maximum capacity, said the Director of the Hospital, Dr. Priyantha Karunaratne. But at present 116 patients are receiving treatment. Meanwhile, the President of the Association of Public Health Inspectors Upul Rohana said that many people who have been diagnosed with the virus are staying at home due to delays in being referred to treatment centers.
Source:The Nation
April 30, 2021 07:41 UTC
Prisons officers to receive AstraZeneca second dose
The second dose of the vaccine will be given to 5,153 prison officers who received the first dose and it has been decided to give the second dose of this vaccine to the officers on duty as the risk of Covid remains in the prisons, said Prisons Spokesman Chandana Ekanayake. The vaccination program was scheduled to be carried out at the Colombo Prison premises and was to be handed over to officers on duty at Prison Headquarters, Welikada Prison, Colombo Remand Prison, Magazine Prison, Kalutara, Kuruwita, Negombo, Pallansena, Watareka and Ambepussa Prisons. Chandana Ekanayake further said that under this vaccination program, the officers on duty at the old Bogambara and Dumbara Prisons and the Pallekele Open Prison on May 03 and 04 and the Angunakolapelessa, Galle, Matara and Weerawila Prisons on May 07 and 08. Although it is planned to provide it to the officers on duty, they will be informed about it in the future.
Source:The Nation
April 30, 2021 07:08 UTC
Debate on Port City Economic Commission Bill next week
April 30, 2021 by Mihi Perera No CommentsThe Parliamentary debate on the Port City Economic Commission Bill is scheduled to be held next Wednesday (05), stated Parliamentary Sergeant-at-Arms Narendra Fernando today. He also stated that the Parliamentary sessions will be limited to two days during the next week. He said that this was due to the current pandemic situation in the country and that all measures are being taken to prevent its spread within the Parliamentary premises.
Source:The Nation
April 30, 2021 07:02 UTC
104 arrested yesterday for violating quarantine laws
April 30, 2021 by Mihi Perera No CommentsIn the past 24 hours, 104 people have been arrested for violating quarantine laws. Police Media Spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana stated that 4,191 persons have been arrested for violating quarantine laws since last October. The Police Media Spokesman further stated that everyone should make sure to follow the instructions given by the Health Department over the coming weekend as well.
Source:The Nation
April 30, 2021 06:02 UTC
Openers give Lanka full control
The Morning Sports DeskThirimanne was more cautious and reached his third Test century – the second this year. He was unbeaten on 131 Photo SLCCenturies from Dimuth Karunaratne and Lahiru Thirimanne gave Sri Lanka full control of the first day’s play of the second and final cricket Test in Pallekele against Bangladesh yesterday (29). That allowed the two Lankan openers, Karunaratne and Thirimanne, to dominate once they saw through the first couple of hours of play quite cautiously. During the course of the innings, he crossed 5,000 Test runs, apart from reaching his 12th Test century, the most by any active Sri Lanka batter. Thirimanne was more cautious and reached his third Test century – the second this year.
Source:The Nation
April 30, 2021 00:56 UTC
IPL organisers reject criticism, say cricket lifts Covid-19 gloom
The senior BCCI official, however, said the cricket was providing important solace and entertainment to many people during hard times, even though fans are not being allowed into stadiums to watch the games. People will go out without masks“It’s probably more important now to hold IPL, when there is so much negativity around,” the official had told Reuters, requesting anonymity. How does stopping IPL help?”Satish Menon, the Chief Executive of the Punjab Kings franchise, echoed the sentiment. “For people sitting at home, we are providing entertainment. “It is misguided moral outrage to call for an end to the IPL amid the pandemic,” the Indian Express newspaper said in an editorial on Tuesday.
Source:The Nation
April 30, 2021 00:00 UTC
In other football news…
Compiled by Ranjika PereraIstanbul to host the Champions League final:Despite the surge in the Coronavirus cases in Turkey, the UEFA has confirmed the 2021 Champions League final will go ahead as planned in Turkey. The election is scheduled to be held next Tuesday, the day before the match in London. However, El Mundo said Real had appealed to the Electoral Commission but the request was denied without a hearing. The American family apologised to the fans and players regarding their involvement in the Super League. I love the history, the players, and of course, I love the fans.
Source:The Nation
April 30, 2021 00:00 UTC
Global criticism mounts pressure on staging IPL 2021
How the world reported on India continuing to stage the IPL 2021 season amidst a worsening Covid-19 health crisis, as is reported by the Indian media yesterday. People are dying faster than runs are being scored for crying out loud.”The IPL 2021 season has rolled into its second leg, with matches being staged in Ahmedabad and Delhi. Former England footballer and television commentator Gary Lineker said it is “terribly wrong” for the IPL to continue amidst such a “catastrophe”. Several publications from around the world, while reporting on the status of players from their countries currently in India playing in the IPL, questioned the need for the IPL 2021 season to be staged in present circumstances. The Daily Mail reported that pressure is growing on the England Cricket Board to bring back their players from India.
Source:The Nation
April 29, 2021 23:37 UTC
SL earns Tokyo 2020 jumping place
A decision by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) to annul results from its events at Villeneuve-Loubet in France, that concluded in January 2020, was successfully challenged last week. Consequently, the jumping rankings have been recalculated and there are also changes to the individual quotas for this year’s Olympic Games. Sri Lanka, thanks to the reinstatement of results achieved by its rider Mathilda Karlsson in France, now has an individual place for Tokyo. While acknowledging that there had been a violation of FEI rules, the panel declared “the rule violation would never have occurred without the FEI’s erroneous authorisation of the updated schedules”. “The organiser could not have implemented the updates without permission of both the FFE and FEI,” CAS said.
Source:The Nation
April 29, 2021 23:37 UTC
How travellers are arriving in Australia from coronavirus-ravaged India through sneaky loophole
The decision left 9,000 Australians stranded in India until at least May 15 - the earliest date the flight ban will end. But travellers are able to get around the ban by transiting through the Qatar capital of Doha. Australian cricketers Kane Richardson and Adam Zampa used the loophole to flee India and arrived in Melbourne on Thursday night. Travellers departing India can get around Australia's ban by transiting through the Qatar capital of Doha. Pictured are international travellers reuniting with loved ones at Sydney AirportFormer Labor federal treasurer Wayne Swan has slammed the federal government for not closing the loophole.
Source:The Nation
April 29, 2021 22:52 UTC
Lewis Hamilton to join sport's social media boycott after revealing he has been abused online
By Jonathan McEvoy for the Daily MailPublished: 17:33 EDT, 29 April 2021 | Updated: 17:35 EDT, 29 April 2021Sir Lewis Hamilton has pledged to join sport's boycott of social media this weekend after confirming he was targeted by online abusers. 'It is clear that racism continues to be an issue and social media platforms need to do more to combat this. It is understood Formula One executives spoke to the teams this week to discuss the subject but decided not to join in. A spokesman for the sport told Sportsmail: 'F1 is wholly committed to combatting any form of discrimination, online or otherwise. Hamilton, still Formula One's sole black driver 14 years after he made his debut, said: 'I was subjected to abuse when I was younger.
Source:The Nation
April 29, 2021 22:04 UTC
Boris Johnson's mobile number has been freely available on the internet for 15 YEARS
Boris Johnson's mobile number is available online and has been for 15 years, it emerged tonight. But in a private text seen by the BBC, Mr Johnson told Sir James that he 'will fix it' himself. Text exchange between Boris Johnson and Sir James Dyson over the tax status of his employees Dyson: 'We are ready. Sir James Dyson has informed us he is not a prominent Conservative supporter.' Yesterday a clearly rattled Mr Johnson used Downing Street to insist he paid for the renovations himself and had abided by the ministerial code.
Source:The Nation
April 29, 2021 21:56 UTC
Should You Include Your Mailing Address On Your Resume?
Photo: 9dream studio (Shutterstock) Photo: 9dream studio (Shutterstock)Most every resume template includes a spot for your home address, but do you really need to include it? Because of these concerns, the current prevailing wisdom on the matter is to omit your mailing address whenever you can, as career site after career site offers expert knowledge insisting your address is superfluous. However, it turns out there are reasons including your address is important, and they pop up more often than you might think. Why to omit your addressFirst, however, let’s consider the typical justifications for not including your address. As Dan Schawbel, managing partner of the HR consultancy Workplace Intelligence, tells Lifehacker, including mailing addresses is still helpful for companies, especially in this new era of remote work.
Source:The Nation
April 29, 2021 20:37 UTC
Sony Xperia 1 III Chinese pricing revealed
In the past couple of years, Sony has followed an unusual strategy of announcing phones without pricing and availability. The same applies to the recently announced Xperia 1 III but now we have our second hint at pricing for the top dog in Sony’s mobile division thanks to a listing in a Chinese online shop. Sony Xperia 1 III leaked pricing and launch date for Chinese marketThe 256GB storage is listed for CNY 8,499 ($1,313/€1,084) while the 512GB version will go for CNY 9,499 ($1,468/€1,212). The Xperia 1 III will be announced on May 20 in China. Check out our Hot take on the new Xperia lineup and do let us know what you think of the pricing on Sony's latest flagship.
Source:The Nation
April 29, 2021 18:33 UTC
President emphasizes need to eliminate use of chemical fertilizers
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa says he will take up the challenge of making Sri Lanka the first country in the world to eliminate the use of chemical fertilizers, without taking a step back on the decision to end the use of chemical fertilizers in the country. The President said the fact that no country in the world has abandoned the use of chemical fertilizers is not an obstacle to achieve this goal. The use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides pollutes rivers and streams and poses a serious challenge to quality drinking water supply. Farmers may assume that giving up on chemical fertilizers will reduce the yield.” If it does, the President guaranteed that the Rs. 50 billion spent annually on chemical fertilizers will be used to recover their loss.
Source:The Nation
April 29, 2021 18:06 UTC