News

Indian state says ‘don’t panic’ as Covid cases rise

Published

5 months ago

December 18, 2023

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India’s Kerala state has asked people to stay cautious but urged them not to panic after an increase in Covid cases.

The southern state has witnessed the increase after the detection of JN.1, a sub-variant of Covid-19.

It has been previously found in several countries, including the US and China.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says all approved Covid-19 vaccines will continue to provide protection against JN.1.

The southern Indian state currently has 1,324 Covid-19 active cases and reported four deaths from the disease on Saturday. Officials have attributed this to the high testing rate in the state.

But it’s not clear how many of these cases are related to JN.1. Only a small number of samples are routinely genome sequenced to keep track of different variants of the virus.

State health minister Veena George said there was no need to worry and the situation was under control.

The JN.1 sub-variant was found in Kerala earlier this month in a positive RT-PCR test sample, officials said.

It was detected as part of the ongoing routine surveillance by INSACOG, a network of laboratories that has been monitoring Covid-19 in India, they said.

The patient, a 79-year-old woman, had mild symptoms of influenza-like illness and has since recovered.

Ms George on Sunday added that the variant already existed in other parts of the country.

“Months ago, this variant was detected in a few Indians who were screened at the Singapore airport,” she told reporters.

Kerala’s neighbouring states Karnataka and Tamil Nadu also say they are keeping a close watch on the rising cases in the state.

Meanwhile, India’s federal health ministry has been running mock drills in hospitals in several states to check their preparedness to handle a sudden rise in Covid numbers. But officials have not attributed the drills to the JN.1 sub-variant.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), however, has noted the rise in Covid cases in Kerala.

“There has been an increasing trend of COVID-19 cases from the state of Kerala since the last few weeks. This has been attributed to an increase in the number of samples from influenza-like illness (ILI) cases being referred for testing,” Rajiv Bahl, Director General of the ICMR, said.

(BBC News)

News

Sri Lanka slips down Press Freedom Index

Published

8 hours ago

May 3, 2024

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Reporters Without Borders released the 2024 World Press Freedom Index on Friday (03).

According to RFS, Sri Lanka has slipped to the 150th position in the index, from 135th position last year.

Click here to read the RSF Sri Lanka Fact File

News

Companies should be ashamed of not giving workers a raise – Vadivel Suresh

Published

8 hours ago

May 3, 2024

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Mr. Vadivel Suresh, General Secretary of the Lanka Jathika Estate Workers’ Union, emphasized that both the Government and the Plantation Employers’ Association bear the responsibility of providing wage increases to plantation workers. These workers, who play a pivotal role in sustaining the esteemed reputation of ‘Ceylon Tea’, contribute significantly to the national economy of Sri Lanka.

MP Vadivel Suresh, made this statement during his participation in today’s (03) news conference at the Presidential Media Centre (PMC), under the theme ‘Collective path to a Stable Country’.

The Member of Parliament noted that plantation companies, benefiting significantly from the fluctuating dollar value, ought to feel ashamed for not providing their workers with a salary raise. He emphasized that the salary increase outlined in the gazette notice issued by the Labour Commissioner General for plantation workers should be implemented.

MP Vadivel Suresh further commented:

“We express gratitude to the President and the government for raising the salary of plantation workers to LKR. 1700. However, the Plantation Employers’ Association is contesting this decision.

The estate companies that profited greatly from the dollar’s value should be ashamed of themselves for not giving their workers a raise. Expressing opposition to the decision to increase wages for their workers, who contribute significantly to strengthening the national economy by upholding the reputation of Ceylon Tea, is regrettable. The decision to raise estate workers’ wages was not made hastily; rather, it followed extensive negotiations over the course of a year involving the Department of Labour, trade unions, and relevant stakeholders.

Employers’ unions persistently refrained from engaging in wage-fixing negotiations. Similarly, they remained silent when a salary increase of LKR 1000 was requested. However, the Labour Commissioner General, utilizing his authority, lawfully issued a gazette notice for a salary hike of LKR 1700. It is unjust for estate companies to procrastinate without providing relief to the workforce amidst fluctuations in the dollar’s value.

Both the government and the plantation Employers’ Association bear responsibility in this matter. Consequently, companies cannot contravene government decisions. Estate companies claim they are in dialogue with the high-level committee for the ultimate verdict. However, all 22 estate companies are owned by five individuals. These owners are involved not only in tea plantations but also in sectors such as tourism, small-scale manufacturing, agriculture, and gems. Additionally, plantation workers and trade unions must unite in support of this wage increase.

(President’s Media Division)

Gazette issued to up estate workers’ daily wage

Unable to increase daily wage – Plantation owners

News

CID records another statement from Maithri

Published

9 hours ago

May 3, 2024

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Former President Maithripala Sirisena has appeared before the Criminal Investigations Department today (May 03) to record another statement regarding the Easter Sunday terror attacks.

The CID had previously obtained a five-hour-long statement from the former President on March 25 over a statement he had made a few days earlier.