President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has called for recommendations from health and education sectors on reopening of schools with less than 100 students, the President’s Media Division (PMD) says.

As there are more than 3,000 such schools in rural areas, the President has entrusted a technical committee of officials from the two sectors with making expeditious recommendations on the matter.

The directives came during the virtual meeting of the Special Committee on COVID-19 Control chaired by the President, this morning (Sep. 10).

The impact on nearly 700,000 children due to not receiving their primary education as a result of the school closures in the years 2020 and 2021, and the impact on a similar number of children who lost their early childhood education was discussed in detail at the meeting.

In addition, the Special Committee decided to extend the ongoing quarantine curfew until 4.00 a.m. on September 21 (Tuesday).

The focus of the discussion also fell on the progress of the inoculation drive and the future course of actions. Dr. Prasanna Gunasena – the Chairman of State Pharmaceutical Corporation and a member of the COVID Committee – said the required shipment of Sputnik V vaccines containing 120,000 second doses is expected to arrive on the island within the next week.

Health officials point out that a high percentage of COVID-19 related deaths are reported among the people over 60 years of age, with a majority of them being unvaccinated.

Therefore, the President emphasized the need to continue the implementation of the mobile inoculation programme in order to provide vaccines to those over 60 years of age who are unable to come to a vaccination centre and for those who are suffering from various diseases. The President noted that those who are reluctant to get themselves vaccinated should be given encouragement to do so.

Vegetable farmers have been severely affected due to the inability to release their produce to the market on a daily basis. Hence, it was decided to keep all the economic centers in the country open.

Ministers Basil Rajapaksa, Keheliya Rambukwella, Bandula Gunawardena, Dullas Alahapperuma, Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Johnston Fernando, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Rohitha Abeygunawardena, Ramesh Pathirana, Namal Rajapaksa, State Ministers Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle, Sisira Jayakody, Prof. Channa Jayasumana, MP Madhura Withanage, Principal Advisor to the President Lalith Weeratunga, Health Secretary Major General (Dr) Sanjeewa Munasinghe, Health Services Director General Dr. Asela Gunawardena, the Commanders of the three Armed Forces, the Inspector General of Police, the members of the Special Committee on COVID-19 Control and the Provincial and Divisional Health Directors also attended the meeting.