The bodies of a married couple who went missing during the Covid period six years ago were recovered on Tuesday (24) from a canal in the Kambikotuwa Watta area of Wellampitiya, under the Grandpass Police Division, it was reported.

According to reports, the victims, identified as 62‑year‑old Sunil Kumarasinghe and Kamanda Silva, had been reported missing in 2020 by their relatives. 

When initial investigations failed to uncover any leads, the family appealed to the Presidential Secretariat, which subsequently handed over the case to the Colombo Crimes Division.

Under the supervision of Senior Superintendent of Police Indika Lokuhetti, investigators questioned a couple living near the victims’ residence. 

Interrogations led by Chief Inspector S.B. Wijethunga revealed that the missing couple had been murdered following a personal dispute, dismembered, and buried in the nearby canal.

Police arrested the suspect couple along with another accomplice, noting that two of the men were heavily addicted to drugs. 

Investigations further revealed that the victims were attacked with sharp weapons, the woman’s gold necklace was stolen, and the bodies were cut into pieces before being concealed. On several occasions when body parts surfaced, the main suspect reportedly reburied them.

The suspects were taken to the crime scene for an on‑site inspection before being produced at the Aluthkade Magistrate’s Court, where the recovered remains were formally reported.

Authorities confirmed that investigations are ongoing to apprehend another suspect linked to the killings. (Newswire)

The post Remains of Covid‑era missing couple found in Colombo after six years appeared first on Newswire.

Two people have died so far from being infected with the COVID-19 variant that is spreading across Sri Lanka, health officials said. 

The Chief Professor of Medicine at the Northwestern Medical Faculty, Dushantha Medagedara, revealed this while participating in a media briefing held at the Health Promotion Bureau (HPB) yesterday.

Addressing the media, Dushantha Medagedara said, according to the Sri Lankan Institute of Virology, between 9% to 13% of patients with respiratory issues are currently infected with the new strain of COVID-19.

He further said that this COVID-19 infection is of very low severity and its harmful effects are very minimal.

“However, for patients over 65 years of age with weakened immune systems, this can be serious. Such people should be careful about this. There have been two deaths in Sri Lanka, and both due to complications,” he said. 

Dushantha Medagedara pointed out that Sri Lanka does not have a serious situation at the moment and that there was no need for unnecessary panic. 

He warned that, however, specific groups, those with respiratory illnesses, should be concerned and vigilant. (Newswire)

The post Two COVID-related deaths in SL : Update from health officials appeared first on Newswire.

The Secretary to the Ministry of Health has clarified that there is no requirement at present to issue a general directive for wearing face masks within office premises. 

The clarification comes in response to a circular issued by the Western Provincial Council urging heads of institutions to encourage mask usage amid rising respiratory illnesses such as influenza and COVID-19 variants.

Dr. Anil Jasinghe, in a letter to the Western Province Chief Secretary, emphasised that such recommendations should be based on official guidance from the Health Ministry, noting that unnecessary directives could cause public fear and disrupt daily activities. (Newswire)

The post Western Province office mask circular: Health Ministry hits back appeared first on Newswire.

Secretary to the Ministry of Health, Dr. Anil Jasinghe, says PCR testing will be increased at state hospitals to detect COVID-19 cases in Sri Lanka, due to the outbreak of a new strain in Asian Countries. 

Addressing the media yesterday, Dr. Jasinghe said that an increase in COVID cases has been observed mostly in Asian countries at present, with a significant number being reported in Singapore. 

He said that, based on this outbreak, as preventive measures, the Health Ministry intends to increase PCR testing at state hospitals using the existing testing facilities at the Medical Research Institute of Sri Lanka (MRI), and the Kandy and Galle General Hospitals.

“This will help us monitor the COVID situation in Sri Lanka and also help identify the presence of the new strain. Per the cases reported in other countries, the new strain of COVID has proven to have a lower death rate,” he said. 

The Health Ministry Secretary further said that these preventive measures have been taken following discussions with various COVID-related departments, including the Epidemiology Unit, focusing on steps that could be taken under the current circumstances of the Health Services. 

He assured that currently, Sri Lanka has not reached a state to cause fear among the public, warning that this does not mean that Sri Lanka may not detect new cases. 

Dr. Anil Jasinghe explained that COVID-19 cases in Sri Lanka are very less at present, adding that even though the coronavirus pandemic ended, COVID-19 cases continued to be detected in Sri Lanka at a low rate, and have become a common illness now. 

When asked if the public needs to start wearing masks and use sanitisers, he said the public does not need to do that just yet, as there wasn’t a significant outbreak in Sri Lanka. 

“But it is good to do so as a general practice to avoid getting infected and spreading infections,” he advised. (Newswire)

The post Sri Lanka to increase PCR testing at state hospitals appeared first on Newswire.

Channa Jayasumana, the former State Minister of Health under the Gotabaya Rajapaksa regime, states he was against the decision to cremate the bodies of Muslim COVID victims.

Speaking during a televised debate, Channa Jayasumana said the decision to deny burials to Muslim COVID victims was taken based on Military intelligence, citing a security threat.

Channa Jayasumana said from the beginning, he was against denying burial and had also conveyed this to the then COVID Task Force.

“As a Science expert, I was of the view that the virus cannot survive in a dead body. So burials as per their religious practice would not be an issue. I spoke on this behalf and even gave media briefings,” he said.

The former State Minister said, however, that Military intelligence had warned against allowing burials, citing this could give rise to other threats including religious tensions.

Stating that such tensions could not arise during a pandemic, he said he was also of the view that cremating the bodies of Muslim COVID victims was not a suitable move and that he had called for burials to be allowed per their religious practice.

“However, my suggestion was defeated. We were forced to remain silent because the Military Intelligence warned that burials could bring other adverse results,” he said. 

Channa Jayasumana pointed out that regrettably, news reports are completely misrepresenting his stance, adding that the reports are the exact opposite of his beliefs. (Newswire)

The post Channa Jayasumana says he always opposed Muslim COVID cremations appeared first on Newswire.

The government of Sri Lanka has taken necessary measures to address the consequences of the compulsory cremation policy that was enacted in Sri Lanka during the COVID-19 pandemic period.

The Cabinet has approved a proposal presented to plead an apology on behalf of the Government from all the communities that were affected due to the enaction of the compulsory cremation policy.

The proposal to introduce a new law enabling a certain person or their relations to select either the burial or cremation of the dead person at their discretion has also received Cabinet approval. 

According to the government, cremation was recommended as a methodology for the disposal of dead bodies of persons who died due to the COVID-19 virus, as stipulated in the guidelines published by the Ministry of Health on the Clinical Management of COVID-19. 

A total of 276 persons from the Muslim Community who had passed away due to the virus were initially cremated, while in February 2021 permission was granted for burial with strict restrictions. 

In July 2021, a study was commenced by the Ministry of Water Supply with the assistance of the University of Jayawardenapura to identify the SARS-CoV-2 virus in aquatic environments in Colombo and Kandy, including river water, the water released from the hospitals, other quarantine places and other potential places where the wastewater was discharged. The studies revealed that there was no virus in the surface water. 

Meanwhile, a second study was also completed in March 2024 by the China- Sri Lanka Joint Research and Demonstration Center for Water Technology under the Ministry of Water Supply investigating the transmission of the SARS-CoV2 virus to water resources, including groundwater, where it was confirmed that the even though faeces and the urine are primary sources of transmission of the virus, it is not so through safe burial. 

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the joint proposal presented by the Ministers of Justice, Foreign Affairs, and Water Supply to plead an apology on behalf of the Government, from all the communities that were affected as a consequence of the compulsory cremation policy enacted in Sri Lanka during the COVID-19 pandemic period.

The government further acknowledged that the compulsory cremation policy at the time had caused displeasure among various religious groups and human rights activists, especially the Muslim community.

Studies made in this respect have also confirmed that the virus cannot be transmitted through safe burial and the government has taken measures to prevent similar situations in the future. 

As a key measure, attention has been drawn to introducing a law enabling a certain person or their relation to select the burial or cremation of the dead person at their discretion. It has also been proposed to introduce appropriate new laws to donate the dead bodies to the Medical Faculty, if necessary. 

Accordingly, the Cabinet approved the joint proposal presented by the Minister of Justice and Minister of Foreign Affairs to instruct the Legal Draftsman to prepare a draft for the introduction of the proposed new law. (Newswire)

The post Two tests confirm Mandatory COVID Cremation policy wrong : SL Govt offers apology appeared first on Newswire.

Sri Lanka human rights activist Chirantha Amerasinghe has filed a complaint against the State Intelligence Service (SIS) over his arrest in 2020 for a comment made regarding forced cremations during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Issuing a statement, Chirantha Amerasinghe said he had filed a complaint with the Police Headquarters against the SIS over its involvement in his arrest. 

Chirantha Amerasinghe revealed that based on information from the SIS, the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) had arrested him for claiming that ‘COVID-19 does not spread in water’.

He pointed out that the CID had arrested him without even a complaint being filed against him.

The human rights activist also said that later it was revealed that he was arrested based on information from the SIS, as he had also made a comment related to the Channel 4 documentary on the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. 

Stressing that there were serious concerns over the actions of the Head of the SIS and officials involved in his arrest, Chirantha Amerasinghe called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to conduct a comprehensive investigation into this incident. (Newswire)

The post Covid forced cremations : Human rights activist files complaint against SIS appeared first on Newswire.

Minister of Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Development, Jeevan Thondaman has extended his apologies to the Muslim community for the mandatory cremation policy enforced during the COVID-19 pandemic under the previous Government of Gotabaya Rajapaksa. 

The apology came during an Ifthar gathering held in Hatton town on Tuesday (Apr 02), hosted by Minister Thondaman, during which he acknowledged the distress the policy had caused among the Muslim community. 

Although having assumed duties in January last year, the minister said it was still important that as the present Minister responsible for water, to take responsibility irrespective of who was in his place before. 

Minister Thondaman added that he will soon be submitting a Cabinet paper together with the findings of the study to seek a formal apology from the Government for the harm and hurt caused to especially the Muslim community by the forced cremation policy. 

According to a statement from Minister Jeevan Thondaman’s Office, the forced creation policy under President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was driven by concerns that the burial of COVID-19 victims could contaminate water supplies. This was despite several scientific opinions, including that of the World Health Organisation, refuting that claim.

The previous Government’s position has now been challenged and refuted by new scientific findings of a study led by experts from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura and an update to it by the Joint Research and Demonstration Centre for Water Technology (JRDC) at the University of Peradeniya, a centre under the Ministry of Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Development, he said. The update to the original study was done on the instructions of Minister Thondaman after becoming the subject Minister last year.  

The first study, led by experts from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura and financially supported by the Ministry of Water Supply, investigated the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in surface and wastewater across various locations in Sri Lanka. Conducted between August and December 2021, this research aimed to assess the risk of viral transmission through water, a concern that originally motivated the cremation mandate.

Complementing this, a comprehensive review study by the JRDC analysed the effects of COVID-19-infected bodies’ burial on groundwater contamination. Published this year (2024), this review concluded there was no risk to groundwater pollution from properly conducted burials during the pandemic. The study emphasised that proper burial procedures, including deep burial in sealed body bags, effectively mitigated any risk of environmental contamination. 

The study also highlighted that the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in various water sources did not stem from burial practices but rather from the faeces and urine of infected individuals, further debunking the initial assumptions that underpinned the cremation policy.

Minister Thondaman’s apology marks a critical step towards healing the wounds inflicted by the pandemic’s divisive policies, reaffirming the Government’s dedication to evidence-based decision-making and respect for all cultural and religious practices in Sri Lanka. (NewsWire)

The post Forced cremation of Muslims : Minister to bring Cabinet proposal for formal Govt apology appeared first on Newswire.

Covid vaccines from companies like Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca were linked to rare occurrences of heart, brain and blood disorders, a recent peer-reviewed study found, though experts say the risks of developing Covid-19 greatly outweigh the risks of getting vaccinated.

KEY FACTS

• Researchers from the Global Vaccine Data Network—a research arm of the World Health Organization—looked at expected versus observed rates of 13 medical conditions that were considered “adverse events of special interest” in a study population of 99 million vaccinated people eight countries, making it the largest Covid vaccine study to date.
• Rare cases of myocarditis—inflammation of the heart—were identified in the first, second and third doses of Pfizer-BioNTech’s and Moderna’s mRNA vaccines: The highest rate was seen after the second Moderna dose (6.1 times the expected rate of cases), according to the study published in the journal Vaccine.
• Another heart condition called pericarditis had a 6.9-fold increased risk in those who took a third dose of AstraZeneca’s viral-vector vaccine, while a first and fourth dose of Moderna’s vaccine had a 1.7-fold and 2.6-fold increased risk, respectively.
• There was a 2.5-times greater risk of developing the rare autoimmune disorder Guillain-Barre syndrome among those who took AstraZeneca’s vaccine compared to the rate researchers expected, and a 3.2-times greater risk of getting blood clots among the same population.
• There was a 3.8-times greater risk of developing the neurological disorder acute disseminated encephalomyelitis after the Moderna vaccine was administered, and a 2.2-fold increased risk after AstraZeneca’s vaccine, according to the study.

BIG NUMBER

13.5 billion. That’s how many Covid vaccines have been administered worldwide since the start of the Covid pandemic, according to science research organization Our World in Data. Around 71% of the world’s population has received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine.

CRUCIAL QUOTE

“The odds of all of these adverse events is still much, much higher when infected with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), so getting vaccinated is still by far the safer choice,” CEO of biotechnology company Centivax Jacob Glanville, who is not involved in the study, told Forbes.

KEY BACKGROUND

Covid vaccines are meant to prevent severe infection, and studies have indicated Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca’s vaccines are effective at preventing severe illnesses, hospitalizations and death. Meanwhile, the chances of having a neurological event after a Covid infection were up to 617-fold higher than following COVID vaccination, which suggests “the benefits of vaccination substantially outweigh the risks,” according to the Vaccine study researchers. The risk of developing myocarditis is higher post-Covid infection than after getting a Covid vaccine, according to Akiko Iwasaki, PhD, professor of Immunobiology at Yale University. Myocarditis risk after the second dose of a Covid vaccine is 35.9 per 100,000 people, compared to a 64.9 per 100,000 risk after Covid infection. The risk of developing Guillain-Barre syndrome after Covid infection was six times greater, and the risk of developing it after vaccination was 0.41 times greater than the control group, according to a 2023 study published in Neurology. While most Americans have received at least one Covid-19 vaccine shot, uptake for booster shots that are updated to combat new coronavirus strains has remained slow.

TANGENT

The rapidly spreading Covid variant JN.1 caused an uptick in cases during the fall and winter months, causing a resurgence of the tripledemic—when cases of Covid, flu and respiratory syncytial virus simultaneously increase. JN.1 made up 96.4% of all cases in the two week period ending in Feb. 17. However, Covid cases (down 0.6%) and deaths (down 6.9%) are declining—though hospitalizations are up 0.8%—signaling an end to the tripledemic. The variant was classified as a “variant of interest”—meaning it’s spreading in a way that may pose “an emerging risk to global public health”—by the World Health Organization in December. JN.1 is an offshoot of the highly mutated Pirola (BA.2.86) virus that some experts worried wouldn’t be protected against the updated monovalent Covid boosters, which specifically target XBB variants. However, vaccine makers ensured their shots provided some protection. (Forbes)

The post Covid vaccines linked to small increase in Heart & Brain disorders – New Study appeared first on Newswire.

Minister of Health Ramesh Pathirana has assured that the Ministry of Health is closely monitoring the situation concerning the emergence of the new Covid variant JN.1 reported from India.

Addressing a press conference at the Presidential Media Center on Tuesday (Jan 02), the minister said as of now, no cases have been reported from the sample tests conducted. 

Despite this, the minister urged the public to adhere to the health practices established during the previous Covid season.

Furthermore, Minister Pathirana announced that preparations have been finalized for a vaccination program aimed at controlling the resurgence of the measles disease across the country. 

Announcing that the program is scheduled to commence next week, he said it will be administered through the Medical Officer of Health (MOH) Offices nationwide.

“Amidst discussions about the new JN.1 Covid strain reported from India, the Ministry of Health reassures the public that, as currently reported by the World Health Organization, there is no undue cause for concern,” he said.

Minister Pathirana further said continuous monitoring is being carried out and with the support of the Medical Research Institute, extensive sample tests have been initiated. 

Stating that to date, no patients with the new Covid variant have been identified, he added that nevertheless, the public is advised to adhere to the health practices followed during the last pandemic season.

The Health Minister further said that the ongoing initiative to provide quality and advanced medicines to the people of Sri Lanka under the free health service is being consistently implemented. 

“The country experienced a shortage of certain medicines due to the economic downturn after the Covid crisis. However, with the steady improvement of the country’s financial situation, the government has expedited the procurement process to obtain essential medicines.

“To enhance transparency in the procurement of medicines for hospitals, preparations are underway to digitize procurement activities. Expert advice is being sought from the computer science departments of the University of Colombo and the University of Moratuwa. This digitization effort is expected to streamline future procurement activities,” he said.

The Health Minister further said President Ranil Wickremesinghe has allocated the necessary funds in this year’s budget to improve the quality control laboratory of the NMRA, adding that structural changes in capacity and human resources are anticipated this year.

“Identification of 850 types of essential medicines required for the country has been completed. These medicines cover a wide range, including those vital for saving lives, contact lenses, surgical equipment for heart patients (including stents), orthopaedic surgery equipment and other medical necessities.

“The alarming number of 50 deaths from dengue disease last year underscores the need for collective action from society. The government, with the support of the entire community, is implementing an environment-cleaning program involving members of the security forces. Dengue can be controlled by maintaining a clean environment,” he said.

The minister pointed out that although Sri Lanka has been recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) for eradicating measles, the Ministry of Health acknowledges around 700 reported cases last year. 

“Certain deficiencies in people’s existing immunity may have contributed to this situation. Starting from the second week of January, arrangements have been made to provide the measles immunization vaccine through all Medical Officers of Health offices nationwide. Parents are urged to ensure their children receive the necessary immunization and if necessary, individuals can receive this vaccine as an additional dose,” he added. (NewsWire)

The post Minister urges public to adhere to health practices imposed during the Covid pandemic appeared first on Newswire.

Millions of middle-class Chinese are tightening their belts, not “daring to spend” until a solid economic recovery is in sight.

Easing unemployment pressures and lifting prospects for public wealth growth are among key tasks mapped out by top Chinese leaders for the new year, as the post-Covid economy struggles against persistent deflation risks amid a property market slump and bleak business sentiment.

Read more : https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3246222/chinas-middle-class-does-not-dare-spend-until-post-covid-economy-shows-clear-signs-recovery (SCMP)

The post China’s middle class does not ‘dare to spend’ until post-Covid economy shows clear signs of recovery appeared first on Newswire.

Sri Lankan medical expert Dr. Chandima Jeewandara has warned of possible heart-related complications from even a milder form of COVID-19 infection.

Taking to ‘X’, the Director of the Allergy, Immunology and Cell Biology Unit of Sri Jayewardenepura University shared a recent study conducted in this regard. 

“Why you should avoid even the milder form of COVID-19 infection. This is the latest experimental study to show SARS CoV2 infection leading to a failing heart. There are plenty of unknowns with COVID,” he said. (NewsWire)

The post Why you should avoid even the milder form of COVID appeared first on Newswire.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the JN.1 coronavirus strain as a “variant of interest”.

Taking to ‘X’, WHO said due to its rapidly increasing spread, it is classifying the variant JN.1 as a separate variant of interest (VOI) from the parent lineage BA.2.86. 

It was previously classified as VOI as part of BA.2.86 sublineages, it clarified.

WHO further said that based on the available evidence, the additional global public health risk posed by JN.1 is currently evaluated as low. 

“Despite this, with the onset of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, JN.1 could increase the burden of respiratory infections in many countries,” it warned.

WHO went on to note that current vaccines continue to protect against severe disease and death from JN.1 and other circulating variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

WHO added that it is continuously monitoring the evidence and will update the JN.1 risk evaluation as needed. (NewsWire)

The post WHO issues alert on new Covid variant JN.1 appeared first on Newswire.

Foreign Minister Ali Sabry today addressed accusations levelled against him, claiming that he had failed to take action against the forced cremation of the Muslim community during the coronavirus pandemic in Sri Lanka. 

Addressing the Parliament, Minister Ali Sabry outlined the various attempts he had taken to raise the matter with the then government and the expert committee deciding on the cremation process. 

“A monk termed me a ‘terrorist’ because I spoke up against the cremation of the COVID-19 deceased. A court case was also filed in this regard. Leading media outlets provided the stage for this,” he alleged.

Minister Sabry further said that he even discussed the matter with former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan during the latter’s visit to Sri Lanka, requesting him to address the matter with the Sri Lankan Government.

Stating that he had taken various measures to address this situation, the minister said that he had raised the matter with the Cabinet and the committee of experts on several occasions and that he did what was in his power.

“I had two choices, either to give up and run away or to stay back and fight. I am glad that I stood back, fought, and made some sense, which helped us give a decent burial to 3,500 people in Oddamavadi,” he said. 

The Foreign Minister acknowledged that the forced cremations were a mistake, adding that it should not occur again in the country. (NewsWire)

The post Forced Cremations : Minister Ali Sabry responds appeared first on Newswire.

A new variant of COVID-19 is spreading rapidly across the United Kingdom, triggering alarm among health officials in the country, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). 

The variant EG.5.1, nicknamed Eris, which has descended from the rapidly spreading Omicron, was first flagged last month in the UK, reported news agency PTI.

”EG.5.1 was first raised as a signal in monitoring on 3 July 2023 as part of horizon scanning due to increasing reports internationally, particularly in Asia. It was subsequently raised from a signal in monitoring to a variant V-23JUL-01 on 31 July 2023 due to the increasing number of genomes in UK data, and continued growth internationally. Declaring this lineage as a variant will allow further detailed characterization and analysis,” said the UKHSA.

The Eris variant now makes up one in seven new COVID cases, according to UKHSA. 

As per the latest report by the UKHSA on August 3, COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the country. “5.4% of 4,396 respiratory specimens reported through the Respiratory DataMart System were identified as COVID-19. This is compared to 3.7% of 4,403 from the previous report,” said the agency in its report.

The five most common symptoms of Eris, a strain of Omicron, are runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing, and sore throat, as per Independent. 

It appears to be spreading quickly and could be one reason why there has been a recent rise in cases and hospitalizations.

“We continue to see a rise in COVID-19 cases in this week’s report. We have also seen a small rise in hospital admission rates in most age groups, particularly among the elderly. Overall levels of admission still remain extremely low and we are not currently seeing a similar increase in ICU admission,” said Dr Mary Ramsay, UKHSA’s Head of Immunisation.

Officials say they are “closely” monitoring the situation as COVID case rates continue to rise.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said though people are better protected by vaccines and prior infection, countries should not let down their guard.

“WHO continues to advise people at high risk to wear a mask in crowded places, to get boosters when recommended, and to ensure adequate ventilation indoors, And we urge governments to maintain and not dismantle the systems they built for COVID-19,” Mr. Ghebreyesus was quoted as saying by Sky News.

‘Eris’ is now the second most prevalent variant in the UK, after Arcturus XBB.1.16 variant. (NDTV)

The post New COVID Variant ‘Eris’ spreading rapidly in the UK – Experts appeared first on Newswire.

Sri Lanka’s bilateral relations with several countries, particularly ones in the Middle East, suffered significantly due to the government’s stance on the COVID-related burial issue, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry said.

In an exclusive interview with Daily Mirror, the Minister stated that he had appealed to the Cabinet on five occasions and pleaded with them to look into the cremation of Muslims.

“It was a terrible thing to happen. I felt the worst in my life. It was an ordeal every day I went through when deaths occurred and bodies were to be cremated. I had sleepless nights. I went to the Cabinet on five occasions and pleaded with them to look at it,” he stated. 

Minister Ali Sabry further revealed that at the time the Cabinet had also opined that burials should be allowed. 

“Unfortunately, they have the so-called experts’ group. They were more than the world WHO experts. One is headed by Channa Pereira and Professor Meththika Perera. They opposed it without any science at all. It didn’t help anyone. It polarized,” he said.   

The Foreign Minister pointed out that this decision severely affected Sri Lanka’s ties with several countries, especially Middle Eastern countries. 

“It really affected our ties. Burial was allowed in the world. Ours is the only country that did not allow burials of Muslim victims of Covid. It really affected the relationship. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) officially condemned it. The UNHRC condemned it. The World Health Organization clearly made guidelines. So it was a very short-sighted decision which affected our relationship,” he explained.

Minister Ali Sabry stated that recently Sri Lanka had to reach out to so many countries and rebuild the affected ties.

“We are looking at Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, and Qatar. The Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister came in 2021. I went there this year. We have invited the UAE foreign minister to come. He had agreed to visit Sri Lanka. I have got an invitation from Iran, Morocco, and countries like that to visit them. We are activating the relationship between the countries. I am sure we can rebuild it and it’d be much better than what it used to be a year ago,” he added. (NewsWire) 

The post COVID burial policy strained SL’s foreign relations – FM appeared first on Newswire.

Four Covid-19 cases were detected in Sri Lanka on Tuesday, 25th April 2023, the Health Ministry said in a statement. 

The Ministry stated that a total of 672,143 Covid patients have been reported in Sri Lanka since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2019.

Out of the total reported cases, more than 655,000 have recovered, while over 16,800 had succumbed to the virus.

The government had previously discontinued reporting Covid infections but has once again commenced reporting new infections. (NewsWire)

The post COVID : Govt begins releasing numbers again appeared first on Newswire.

A new coronavirus subvariant, XBB. 1.16 or Arcturus, has been designated as a “variant under monitoring” by the World Health Organization. 

According to the Washington Post, the latest omicron offshoot is particularly prevalent in India, where it has sparked a rise in infections, and a return to mask mandates in parts of the country.

Here’s what you need to know about the subvariant called Arcturus, which has been documented in 29 countries so far.

What is Arcturus, the new coronavirus subvariant?

Arcturus was first detected in a sample in January and has now been documented in 29 countries, according to the World Health Organization. It is a subvariant of the omicron variant, which emerged in late 2021 and replaced delta as the dominant variant around the world.

By late February, the Arcturus strain accounted for 0.21 percent of cases around the world. A month later, this had risen to 3.96 percent, according to WHO figures. In the United States, it is estimated to account for 7.2 percent of coronavirus infections for the week ending April 15, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The WHO designated XBB. 1.16 a “variant under monitoring” on March 22. This means the variant has “genetic changes” that could affect its characteristics as a virus, including a possible “growth advantage” over other variants, but the epidemiological impact is not clear. The WHO is monitoring seven variants, including the BA.2 version of omicron seen in many parts of the United States.

A “variant under monitoring” is considered to be of lesser concern than a “variant of interest,” which is predicted or known to be more transmissible or virulent, or able to evade antibodies, according to the WHO. The XBB. 1.5 strain, currently the most prevalent subvariant globally, is described as a variant of interest.

Does the Arcturus mutation make it more dangerous?

According to the WHO, Arcturus is similar to the prevalent XBB. 1.5 variant, but has “one additional mutational mutation in the spike protein, which in lab studies shows increased infectivity, as well as potential increased pathogenicity.”

While this may mean that it could spread more quickly, there is not any indication yet that it will lead to more severe cases.

“We’ve seen this in the past,” Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia in Britain, said in an interview. “You look at the virus and it’s got mutations that should make it more virulent, but then in reality you don’t see that.”

He explains that immunity in the body’s T cells represents “one of the biggest protections,” and yet “we’re not seeing much evolution in the parts of the virus that T cells actually attack,” meaning that the impact of the mutations may be limited. “There’s no evidence that this is any more severe — and probably it’s somewhat less severe than previous strains — but it’s too early to be certain. And that’s almost certainly because of immunity.”

“It will probably become the dominant variant for a while in the U.S. and Europe and most countries around the world, but I don’t see it driving up severe infections more than we’ve seen in recent waves,” he said.

What’s the situation in India? And where else has Arcturus been reported?

In India, the number of active coronavirus cases has been steadily rising in recent weeks, with almost 50,000 recorded on Friday, according to the country’s Health Ministry — compared to 13,509 on March 30.

The country was devastated by a wave of infections involving the delta variant in 2021, which killed tens of thousands of people. Cases have been rising again recently, leading some states to reintroduce mask mandates. 

Last week, the federal health minister also asked states to increase genome testing and conduct mock drills in hospitals, according to Reuters news agency.

Arcturus has already replaced other variants in India, according to the WHO’s March report. However, Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s technical lead on covid-19, said in late March that “we haven’t seen a change in severity in individuals or in populations,” although the group would “remain vigilant.”

According to the CoV-Spectrum website, which uses data from the GISAID Initiative to track coronavirus variants, XBB. 1.16 has been detected in sequenced samples from countries including the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia. The CDC variant tracker shows it circulating at very low levels in more than a dozen states, including California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Missouri, New York, North Carolina and Ohio.

“It does seem to be spreading more rapidly than any other variant right now, but this is always what happens: A new variant comes along, it spreads quite rapidly for a while, and then it peters out over a period of a few weeks, ultimately to be replaced by the next one,” Hunter said.

He added that previous studies showed that many people are benefiting from the hybrid immunity that comes from a combination of previous infections and vaccination, which should offer them better protection against severe disease “for quite a bit longer, probably for a few years” — meaning that, even if they become infected with Arcturus or another variant, they are less likely to require hospital treatment. (Washington Post)

The post New Covid variant ‘Arcturus’ spreading in multiple countries appeared first on Newswire.

FBI Director Christopher Wray said the COVID-19 pandemic was likely caused by a lab leak in Wuhan, China.

“The FBI has for quite some time now assessed that the origins of the pandemic are most likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan,” Wray told Fox News in an interview that aired Tuesday. “Here you are talking about a potential leak from a Chinese government-controlled lab.” 

“I will just make the observation that the Chinese government, it seems to me, has been doing its best to try to thwart and obfuscate the work here, the work that we’re doing, the work that our U.S. government and close foreign partners are doing. And that’s unfortunate for everybody,” he added.

Wray said the FBI has specialists who focus on “the dangers of biological threats, which include things like novel viruses like COVID, and the concerns that they [are] in the wrong hands [of] some bad guys, a hostile nation state, a terrorist, a criminal.”

He also said that the Chinese government has been trying to block investigative work into the origins of the coronavirus.

Wray’s comments come after the Department of Energy has also recently assessed that the COVID-19 pandemic was likely caused by an accidental lab leak in China.

The development was included in an update to a 2021 document made by Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines’s office.

The National Intelligence Council as well as four other government agencies assess at “low confidence” that COVID-19 originated as a result of natural transmission from an infected animal, but the CIA and other government agencies remain undecided.

According to the report, there’s a consensus between intelligence agencies that the pandemic wasn’t the result of a bioweapons program by China. (Fox News)

The post FBI director makes revelation on how Covid originated appeared first on Newswire.