coronavirus

New COVID strain JN.1 is spreading fast. How worried should we be?

The new variant has spread across 41 countries as the WHO categorises it as a ‘variant of interest’. JN.1 has been detected in the US, India, China, France, Canada and many other countries [File: Petr David Josek/AP Photo] By Areesha Lodhi Published On 22 Dec 202322 Dec 2023   A new strain of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that caused the coronavirus pandemic four years …

Read More »

Covid-19 deaths: Remains allowed to be buried: PM

People who die of COVID-19 would be allowed to be buried, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said today. The Prime Minister said this in parliament in response to a question raised by SJB MP S.M. Marikkar. MP Marikkar said State Minister Sudarshani Fernandopulle, who responded to a question raised by MP Rohana Bandara, told Parliament yesterday that COVID19 is not transmitted …

Read More »

Death in the Time of Corona: A Risky Business for Muslims By SHREEN SAROOR AND MINOLI DE SOYSA

The question of the burial or cremation of COVID-19 victims took a bizarre turn to expose a government at odds with itself with Ministers and health authorities sending out mixed messages and contradicting each other. It was suddenly announced that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had agreed to the burial of Muslims who died of COVID-19 and instructed health authorities to look …

Read More »

Saudi Arabia: Hajj 2020 to be held with limited number of pilgrims

Decision taken due to the ongoing threat from the coronavirus pandemicPilgrims will come from various nationalities who already reside in Saudi Arabia RIYADH: Hajj will go ahead next month but with a “very limited” number of pilgrims allowed to take part, Saudi Arabia said on Monday. The decision was taken due to the ongoing threat from the coronavirus pandemic and …

Read More »

WAKFS BOARD DIRECTIVES IN RELATION TO REOPENING MOSQUES & AMENDMENTS 01

Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs

AMENDMENTS 01 – WAKFS BOARD DIRECTIVES ON REOPENING MOSQUES WAKFS BOARD DIRECTIVES ON REOPENING MOSQUES In keeping with the government decision to permit all places of worship to be open from 12.06.2020, the waqkfs board of Sri Lanka at its meeting held on 11.06.2020 has arrived at the following decisions 1. To permit all mosques to be open for individual …

Read More »