President Rajapaksa told Non Aligned Movement leaders’ online summit yesterday that Sri Lanka supports the endeavours of the WHO in ensuring effective responses on the requirements of the international community in the context of the increasing challenges brought about by the virus. The Organization’s support particularly in the search for a vaccine and assisting countries to mitigate the impact of this virus, is commendable, he said.

Sri Lanka has been successfully containing and controlling the COVID-19 threat. Out of the total PCR tests conducted so far only 3% has been confirmed as infected. He briefed the Summit that when Sri Lanka detected the first Covid-19 patient in Sri Lanka, a Chinese tourist, on 12th February, the government established a Task Force comprising key health personnel, high-ranking military personnel and administrators to monitor the spread of the pandemic and also to take required measures to combat the spread of the virus and recommend to the government any measures the government should take to mitigate the consequences.