GENEVA and Washington, D.C. – A new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Solidarity Response Fund will raise money from a wide range of donors to support the work of the  World Health Organization (WHO) and partners to help countries respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund, the first-of-its-kind, enables private individuals, corporations and  institutions anywhere in the world to come together to directly contribute to global response efforts, and has been created by the United Nations Foundation and the Swiss  Philanthropy Foundation, together with WHO.

Issuing a notice the Health and Indigenous Medicine Ministry Secretary Badrani Jayawardena stated that in view of the Coronavirus epidemic (Covid-19) all health related services have been declared essential services in order to ensure the carry on the hospital services without hindrance.

There is absolutely no truth in the rumours being circulated that the Foreign Relations Minister has tested positive for the Coronavirus, on the contrary, he is in good health, said of Higher Education, Technology and Innovation Minister Bandula Gunawardena.

The Director General of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe refuted allegations that the National Infectious Disease Hospital lacks proper facilities during a special media briefing held at the Government Information Department yesterady (15).