Around 1200 personnel employed under the Defence Ministry have voluntarily contributed Rs. 10 million to the Covid-19 Social Security Fund which was handed over to the President’s Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundara at the Presidential Secretariat by the Defence Secretary Kamal Gunaratne yesterday morning.

In order to determine if there are more Covid-19 patients in the country the number of tests conducted would be increased, said the Director-General of Health Dr. Anil Jasinghe.

The government is in the process of formulating short term and long term plans to rebuild the tourism industry which has taken a major blow due to the Coronavirus pandemic, said Minister of Industrial Export, Investment Promotion and Civil Aviation, Prasanna Ranatunga.

In the face of the Coronavirus pandemic, the government has taken a far-sighted decision and not imposed any restrictions on the export crops cultivation such as tea, rubber and coconut which are export crops which help boost the country’s economy, said Plantations Minister Ramesh Pathirana addressing a media briefing held at the Government Information Auditorium yesterday (06).