As COVID-19 haunts Parliament, Business Committee to decide fate of sessions
In the wake of three MPs testing positive for COVID-19, the fate of parliamentary proceedings for the coming week will hinge on the outcome of tomorrow’s meeting of the Parliamentary Business Committee. The meeting had been originally scheduled for last Wednesday, but was postponed after the offices of the Leader of the House and Chief Government Whip were closed when it was confirmed that the Chief Government Whip's secretary had tested positive for COVID-19.
The Parliamentary Business Committee will take into account reports of more than 950 PCR tests conducted over the past week on MPs and Parliament employees including security personnel when deciding whether to continue with Parliament sessions as planned, Deputy Speaker Ranjith Siyambalapitiya told the Sunday Times.
A total of 463 PCR tests were conducted on Wednesday and 493 tests on Friday in the Parliament complex.
Fifteen Parliamentarians underwent PCR tests on Wednesday while 16 MPs were among those tested on Friday, Parliament’s Serjeant-at-Arms Narendra Fernando said.
All 15 MPs who underwent PCR tests on Wednesday have tested negative for the virus.
Parliament is due to sit from January 19 to 22 next week, but the Business Committee will take a final decision on whether the sessions will be held as initially planned or should be postponed given the current situation, the Deputy Speaker added. “We will also have reports of the PCR tests conducted on Friday (15) by the time we meet on Monday; so we will have a better idea on how to proceed then,” he said.
Last week, Batik, Handloom and Local Apparel Products State Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara became the the first parliamentarian to be tested positive for the virus. This week, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress leader and MP Rauff Hakeem tweeted that he tested positive for the virus and had moved into a quarantine centre. This was followed by a report that Water Supply Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara had also tested positive for COVID-19.
Mr Jayasekara did not attend Parliament sessions held during the first sitting week of the year. Several MPs who were subsequently identified as his close contacts, however, had done so. Mr Hakeem had attended the Parliament session on January 5 while Mr Nanayakkara had been to all four Parliament sessions held from January 5 to 8.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister's Coordinating Secretary Kumarasiri Hettige had visited Parliament on January 8 before testing positive for COVID-19. The other person that has tested positive is Chaminda Kularatne, an Additional Secretary to the PM and Secretary to the Chief Government Whip.
Parliament officials said that with the help of CCTV footage, they had tracked the movements within the Parliament complex of the MPs and other two persons who tested positive for the virus and have identified their close contacts. Some 30 MPs and several Parliament staff who were identified as close contacts of the infected people were told this week to self-isolate and get tested. Most have now done so.
Parts of the Parliament complex where the infected MPs and officials had visited were also closed off and disinfected this week.
Parliament remains strictly off limits to outsiders, with the public galleries also remain closed indefinitely, Serjeant-atArms Narendra Fernando added. “We will have to see if any decisions on additional measures will be taken at Monday's meeting,” he said.
There is still uncertainty regarding how some of the infected MPs contracted COVID-19. All 15 members of Minister Nanayakkara’s personal staff have tested negative for the virus, his Media Secretary Mahendra Harishchandra said. “Even his security officers, including the Chief Security Officer have tested negative. How the minister contracted the virus is still a mystery.”
Minister Nanayakkara was admitted to hospital on Monday, and is in good health, Mr Harishchandra said. The minister sent a recorded phone message from hospital on Friday for the foundation stone laying ceremony for the construction of an international gem exhibition and sales centre in Ratnapura.
Among the MPs who have tested negative for the virus so far are Gayantha Karunathilake, Thalatha Atukorale, Lakshman Kiriella, Ashoka Abeysinghe, Harin Fernando, Sanath Nishantha and Chamara Sampath Dassanayake.
Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Galle District MP Gayantha Karunathilake told the Sunday Times that he got himself tested along with his family after being informed by Parliament officials that he was a close contact of Mr. Hakeem. “Several other SJB MPs who were his close contacts have also now tested negative. We are waiting for the outcome of the Business Committee meeting to see if next week’s sessions will go ahead.” he said.