Authorities to check citizens for vaccine cards
August 13, 2021 by Aazam Ameen No CommentsFrom the 15 of September onwards, authorities will be checking the vaccination cards of citizens when in public areas. Accordingly, General Shavendra Silva, the Head of the National Operations Center for the Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) and Commander of Sri Lanka Army has urged the public to carry their vaccination cards with them. It was also mentioned that supermarkets, malls, shops, restaurants and other places where the public may be present have been urged to strictly follow health guidelines.
Source:The Nation
August 13, 2021 11:37 UTC
Tighter restrictions on inter-provincial travel
August 13, 2021 by Aazam Ameen No CommentsGeneral Shavendra Silva, the Head of the National Operations Center for the Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) and Commander of Sri Lanka Army has announced that inter-provincial travel will be further restricted. Accordingly, inter-provincial public transport services will be suspended. However, these restrictions will not apply for those employed in the following sectors:AgricultureApparelTourismEssential services
Source:The Nation
August 13, 2021 11:15 UTC
New Zealand’s First Resident High Commissioner calls on Army Commander
COLOMBO (News 1st); The newly-appointed New Zealand’s first resident High Commissioner of Sri Lanka, Michael Appleton paid a courtesy call on the Chief of Defence Staff, Commander of the Army and Head of the National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO), General Shavendra Silva on Friday (13). Discussions that ensued largely focused on sound bilateral relations that prevail between both countries, military organizations and possibilities for further improvement with varying training modules for tri servicemen in Sri Lanka. General Silva gratefully acknowledged the understanding and the cooperation, being extended by New Zealand counterparts to the Army throughout last couples of years and expressed his desire to further promote such ties in future. Towards the end of the interaction, General Shavendra Silva awarded a memento to the New Zealand’s envoy to Sri Lanka, Michael Appleton. Prior to his departure, the visiting New Zealand’s High Commissioner inquired into the status quo of COVID-19 control in Sri Lanka from General Shavendra Silva who is also the Head of the NOCPCO.
Source:The Nation
August 13, 2021 10:52 UTC
Gunman kills five in Plymouth rampage
Three air ambulances at the park out my back garden.' As the scenes continue to unfold, local Labour MP Luke Pollard also tweeted: 'Really worrying news coming out of Keyham in Plymouth. And Plymouth Argyle FC tweeted: 'Our hearts go out to victims of tonight's tragic incident in our city, alongside their families, friends, and the wider Plymouth community.' Earlier today, a South Western Ambulance Service spokesman said: 'We were called at 6.12pm to an ongoing incident in Plymouth. 'We responded to the incident with a significant number of resources, including Hazardous Area Response Teams (HART), multiple ambulances, air ambulances, multiple doctors and senior paramedics.
Source:The Nation
August 13, 2021 05:03 UTC
Railway station masters launch token strike
August 13, 2021 09:39 amSri Lanka Railways station masters have resorted to a token strike since midnight yesterday (August 12). They are urging the authorities to provide them with necessary apparatus to continue their services safely amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The token strike is expected to come to an end by midnight today. According to Ada Derana correspondents, railway operations have been interrupted by this trade union action.
Source:The Nation
August 13, 2021 04:07 UTC
The surprising companies that have surged because of lockdown
The Australian share market has again hit fresh record highs with the benchmark S&P/ASX200 climbing by 25 per cent during the past year. But a series of companies have outperformed a booming share market, that is thriving despite Sydney, Melbourne, Newcastle and now Canberra, being placed into a strict lockdown. While buy now, pay later success Afterpay has been the market darling, some more traditional companies outside the tech space have done well out of lockdown, thanks to government stimulus measures. Home building companies and banks have thrived because of Australia's never-ending cycle of lockdowns. Mirvac's statutory profit surged 61 per cent to $901million in the year to June 30, its annual report revealed on Thursday.
Source:The Nation
August 13, 2021 03:56 UTC
Mortgage broker reveals the biggest mistakes first home buyers make
A mortgage broker has revealed the most common mistakes first home buyers make when looking to purchase a home. Mr Roper said it's essential to determine how much you can afford based on your lifestyle and monthly expenses, and whether this will change in future by having children. Over the past few months Mr Roper has gained a strong following of more than 22,000 people on TikTok by sharing his trusted information in short videos. 'Just because the bank is offering you a $800K mortgage, doesn't mean you have to take the maximum amount,' Mr Roper said. 'Most real estate agents do the right thing and always ensure this factor is incorporated into the contract, but it's always worth checking,' Mr Roper said.
Source:The Nation
August 12, 2021 23:48 UTC
Ripped off by China's fast fashion vultures
However, while fashion copycats abound in the dodgier corners of the internet, this was no random knock-off fashion website one might struggle to come across. Rather, Deborah found her designs in the hands of a company who are the undoubted emperors of fast fashion. Forget BooHoo, or even Primark: this company is Shein (pronounced She-in), whose recorded revenue in 2020 was an astronomical £7 billion. They are nothing more than vultures taking designs off independent traders and selling them at a fraction of the cost.' 'We have an incredibly small profit margin, because of how expensive it is as a small brand, buying in small volumes.'
Source:The Nation
August 12, 2021 23:37 UTC
Moderna's Covid vaccine DOES protect against Indian 'Delta' variant
Two doses of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine provide long-lasting protection against the Indian 'Delta' variant, a new study suggests. Two doses of Moderna's Covid vaccine provide long-term protection against Covid, including against variants of concern, a new NIH study finds. Pictured: Antibody response against Alpha variant (blue line), Delta variant (pink line), Beta variant (red line), and othersThe super-contagious Delta variant is now causing more than 90 percent of new Covid cases in the U.S., driving the country's current surge. The vast majority of Covid patients in America's hospitals are unvaccinated, while vaccinated people tend to have milder cases - or be fully asymptomatic. The Moderna vaccine appears to be more protective than the Pfizer vaccine, which recently reported that vaccine effectiveness dropped to 84 percent after six months.
Source:The Nation
August 12, 2021 22:41 UTC
Why You Need a Lifting Program
And that’s why you need a weightlifting program. A program is a prescription for exactly what to do and when to do it, and most lifting programs last weeks to months. While some intermediate and advanced lifters can program for themselves, many still use tried-and-true programs, or they ask a coach to write a program for them. For example, a 5-day lifting program might mix easy, medium, and hard days so that you only need a full rest day twice a week. A program helps you make sure you’re doing what you need to do.
Source:The Nation
August 12, 2021 21:22 UTC
Police test 1,000 jet suit to chase down suspect
Senior police and government officials got to see a human jet suit in action at a demonstration of emerging science and technology that could help fight crime and terrorism. Mr Hewitt described the system as 'incredibly noisy' and quite 'science-fictiony' but 'really impressive' and as having 'lots of potential'. 'We are fascinated to see how it will develop and if there are any possible uses in a policing environment in years to come.' The thousand horsepower jet system, called Gravity, was founded by Richard Browning, who is also its test pilot. The jet suit could be particularly useful for catching a 'roving threat', such as over rooftops, in crowded urban spaces or on tricky terrains, according to Mr Browning.
Source:The Nation
August 12, 2021 21:00 UTC
Tougher travel restrictions over the weekend?
Another crucial meeting will held this morning between President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the Presidential Task Force on Prevention of COVID-19 to decide if travel restrictions will be imposed over the weekend to combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The meeting will take place after the country recorded it's highest ever daily COVID-19 deaths on August 11. Also the daily COVID-19 cases surpassed the 3,000 mark on Thursday after a few weeks. The Army Commander said though experts had made statements to media over a lockdown, not a single formal request had been made to the COVID-19 Task Force. The previous meeting held with the President and the Covid-19 Task Force had taken several decisions to prevent the spread of the virus.
Source:The Nation
August 12, 2021 18:45 UTC
Other sectors join teachers’ struggle
Representatives of the Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU), the Ceylon Teachers’ Service Union (CTSU), and other teachers’ and principals’ trade unions as well as those representing trade unions within the sectors of electricity, ports, railways, health, water supply and drainage, management services, estates, transport, and telecommunications, took part in the satyagraha which was held in front of the Independence Square, Colombo 7, yesterday. Speaking to the media during the satyagraha, CTU General Secretary Joseph Stalin said that it is a very positive development that trade unions affiliated to other sectors had also joined the teachers and principals struggle to win their demands in this manner. He added that if the Government continues to delay resolving their issues, it is planned to launch more trade union actions in the future. The trade unions have also planned to hold discussions with political parties represented in the Parliament and to initiate a campaign to obtain signatures for a public petition. In addition to the aforesaid trade union actions, teachers and principals had organised protests all over the country to force the Government to look into their issues urgently.
Source:The Nation
August 12, 2021 18:22 UTC
Four Operating Theatres at Apeksha Cancer Hospital non-operational
The complex has five operating theatres with these 21 minor staffers working in all five theatres. The hospital does not currently have a permanent Hospital Director, which has been the case since the demise of its previous Director Dr. Wasantha Dissanayake in April of this year. The Health Ministry’s Laboratory Services Director Dr. Vijith Gunasekera is serving in a temporary capacity as the hospital’s Director. The hospital provides specialised care for the diagnosis and follow-up treatment of cancer for patients from all over the country. All attempts to contact the temporary Director Dr. Gunasekera proved futile.
Source:The Nation
August 12, 2021 18:00 UTC
Maskless Lollapalooza did NOT become a super-spreader event
Despite concerns from public health experts and Chicago residents, the city's top officials have found no evidence that Lollapalooza was a superspreader event. Lollapalooza was not a superspreading event with just 203 people testing positive, according to data released Thursday from the Chicago Department of Public Health. According to the city's public health commissioner, however, Lollapalooza was in fact not the superspreading event that many had feared. Chicago's public health department also put out a nationwide alert, requesting other cities and states to submit information for any cases linked to Lollapalooza. The Chicago public health department will continue to monitor cases linked to Lollapalooza.
Source:The Nation
August 12, 2021 18:00 UTC