The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayathissa - Minister of Health and Mass Media
The Minister said the Government, President, and Epidemiology Unit were closely monitoring HMPV and would promptly inform the public and take precautions if any case was detected. He clarified that media reports claiming a current first case had misrepresented a reference to an earlier occurrence, noting that one suspected case had tested negative and 20 testing sites had been designated. He urged media and social media to report scientifically and responsibly on health issues that could affect public welfare and the economy.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 We are monitoring carefully. The President, too, is attentive. Our Epidemiology Unit is reporting continuously. If a case is detected, we will inform the country promptly and take precautions. I saw some media and social media creating fear, claiming the first HMPV case was reported now, based on Prof. Neelika Malavige’s statement at an SLMA briefing. She correctly referred to an earlier occurrence, not a current case. Media must act scientifically and responsibly on such sensitive matters that affect lives and the economy. We have designated 20 sites for testing. One suspected case tested negative. We will report facts accurately. I urge the media to act responsibly in the national interest.
Provenance
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- Hansard, Thursday, 9 January 2025 ·No. 1738229262040729 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayathissa - Minister of Health and Mass Media. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 9 January 2025. No. 1738229262040729. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/23680