Sri Lanka’s former foreign minister dies from Covid
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s former foreign minister Mangala Samaraweera passed away on Tuesday at a private hospital in Colombo due to Covid-related complications. Samaraweera, 65, contracted the disease earlier this month and was admitted to an ICU of the Lanka Hospital.
Samaraweera was Sri Lanka’s foreign minister twice between 2005 and 2007 and from 20152017, and was the second highest ranked Sri Lankan politician to succumb to the coronavirus after the death of former parliamentary speaker WJM Lokubandara in February.
Vaccine passport needed at Toronto film festival
As North America’s most celebrated movie event, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), returns to theatres this year, those who want to attend it in person will be required to furnish what are being widely called “vaccine passports” or “Covid-19 green passes”.
Attendees will have to show either proof of vaccination against the coronavirus disease or a negative Covid-19 test result.
The 46th edition of the TIFF will take place from September 9-18 and will take place in Toronto’s theatres even as the Delta variant-driven fourth wave of Covid-19 is underway in the country.
France recommends booster shot for over-65s
France’s health watchdog HAS on Tuesday recommended a third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine for people aged over 65 or considered at risk of developing serious forms of the disease.
The advice from the HAS was for people who had already received two vaccine doses, who will now be offered an MRNA vaccine such as the ones produced by Pfizer or Moderna. Last month, the French health ministry announced a booster shot for around five million of the most vulnerable people, including those in retirement homes.
In its statement, the HAS suggested widening the criteria for those eligible for a third shot while adding that the “priority for the next few weeks is to increase vaccination coverage in particular in the 80+ age group where vaccination coverage remains insufficient (at 79.9%)”.