Today marks the first Easter Sunday since the suicide bomb attacks last year that killed 359 people and injured 500 more, in a series of explosions targeting churches and luxury hotels.

Sri Lanka’s prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa expressed confidence in his government’s ability to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, reiterating the 2009 military defeat of the LTTE in which the Sri Lankan military massacred tens of thousands of Tamils, in a public address earlier this week.

With healthcare workers across the globe working to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, we look at some of the Tamils on the frontlines of the battle to save lives.

From nurses and doctors to our paramedics and porters, every single contribution is invaluable. And alongside thousands of other workers, the Tamil community has been actively involved in efforts to fight the pandemic.

The Sri Lanka government has made cremations compulsory for all coronavirus victims, disregarding advice from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and going against Islamic tradition as racist false rumours against the island’s Muslim community continued to circulate.

A gazette notification was released on Saturday, with Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi further stating that "the corpse of a person who has died or is suspected to have died, of... COVID-19 shall be cremated.” 

The government order comes despite the WHO stating that victims "can be buried or cremated”.

Mulliyavalai Youth Club association members set up a free home gardening initiative, with the Institute of Regional Development and Governance, for Mulliyavalai area residents.

The project called “Namakku Naamay” (We For Us), was launched by the youths on Thursday (9^th March) to ensure that every household has plants in their home’s garden, in an effort to prepare for the impending food crisis and poverty looming in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

At least one person was killed after a mini cyclone struck Vavuniya this week, as villagers struggle with a military enforced curfew in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) has suspended a local council member who was arrested and remanded for molesting a 13-year-old mentally challenged girl, along with four other perpetrators.   

Pradeshiya Sabha member for Thanamalwila, R.A. Ranaweera, allegedly sexually assaulted the girl - who has down syndrome - on multiple occasions with the four other culprits. Ranaweera, along with the four other detained, have been remanded until April 16, according to Daily News.  

The Sri Lankan president announced the lighting up of Colombo's Lotus Tower was to pay "tribute to" the Sri Lankan armed forces, as well as to healthcare workers, in the midst of a miltiary enforced curfew on the island as part of coronavirus counter-measures.

Sri Lanka's president Gotabaya Rajapaksa tweeted that the lighting was to honour their "selfless service is the lifeblood of our country today & it’s our duty to take care of them".

A popular Tamil journalist has passed away in London this week after contracting coronavirus aged just 30-years-old.

Thillainathan Ananthavarnan, a former newsreader and editor with TTN, passed away yesterday.

Colleagues paid tribute to the journalist on social media, as deaths from coronavirus continued to rise across the UK.

^{Photograph: Thamarai Connect}

Tributes have been paid to a British Tamil doctor who died from coronavirus whilst on the frontlines and caring patients last week.

In a statement on the passing of Dr Anton Sebastianpillai, his son Kevin confirmed that his “beautiful father lost his battle against Covid-19”.