Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Vanni District MP Charles Nirmalanathan has been diagnosed and hospitalized with Covid-19.
Nirmalanathan was admitted to a private hospital in Colombo on 8 November after feeling ill. He is currently isolated and receiving treatment in the private Colombo hospital.
A few weeks ago, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced that it will provide an additional US$2.5 million dollars in "urgent COVID-19 assistance" to Sri Lanka's heavily criticized Covid-19 response.
Read more here: US donates $2.5 million for urgent Covid-19 assistance in Sri Lanka
A few months ago, Amnesty International released a scathing report that highlighted Sri Lanka's discriminatory COVID-19 response. In their report, they drew attention to the gag order on the health care sector; the prioritization of those with economic or political privilege at the expense of at-risk groups; the abuse of factory workers and prisoners; as well as the lack of a comprehensive plan to vaccinate the whole population.
Read more here: Amnesty International slams Sri Lanka's discriminatory COVID-19 response
In a press conference last month, MP Nirmalanathan expressed his strong concerns regarding the Sri Lankan government's inaction over the plight of Tamil fishermen and demanded that Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda resign from his position. During the press conference, Nirmalanathan also exhorted the Sri Lankan government to pay attention to the plight of the farmers and urged it to grant fertilizers so as to help boost agricultural activities.
