Willing to jump into the river to protect SL from COVID-19 : health minister

COLOMBO (News1st): Health minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi has said she is willing to take all possible steps even if it has to involve jumping into the river, to protect the country from COVID-19. "...as a government, we have not acted with political motives in the battle against the disease," the health minister said while addressing Parliament on Tuesday. Wanniarachchi made these remarks while referring to the criticism levelled against her for pouring holy water into a river recently, as the second COVID-19 wave broke out in the country. She added that the government has made decisions based on the advice given by specialists and epidemiologists. Meanwhile, opposition leader Sajith Premadasa observed that the government had ignored the opposition's calls for protective measures against COVID-19. He recalled that the opposition in early 2020, had called on the government to distribute face masks free of charge and to declare a state of emergency. "They said that those concerns were not valid," Premadasa said. He pointed out that a few months ago, the health minister had said that the President and the Prime Minister must be awarded medals for successfully combatting COVID-19. "I wish to ask the minister, who deserves the gold and silver medal for the second wave of the virus," the opposition leader remarked.