Sri Lankan has replaced its health minister amid
surge in COVID-19 infections and deaths in the island country. Sri Lanka President
Gotabaya Rajapaksa announced on Monday that the health portfolio was being
transferred from Pavithra Wanniarachchi to Media Minister Kehliya Rambukwella,
the government spokesperson.

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Pavithra Wanniarachchi has been in the news after publicly
endorsing sorcery and magic potions to battle COVID-19 at a time when the
country is seeing record number of infections and fatalities. Wanniarachchi was
in intensive care a few months ago after contracting the coronavirus. Upon
being discharged from the hospital, she publicly consumed and endorsed a magic
potion made by a “sorcerer”.

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Further, she also poured a pot of “blessed” water
into a river in November after a “self-styled godman” reportedly told her that
it would end the pandemic in the island nation of 21 million people, reports Al
Jazeera.

Wanniarachchi’s tenure as health minister was rife
with controversy and she even came under fire for understating coronavirus
infections. However, despite her demotion, Wanniarachchi will retain her
position in the Sri Lankan cabinet as she has been now given the transport
portfolio.

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Meanwhile, Sri Lanka is seeing a rapid surge in
coronavirus cases. Daily infections over the last week have consistently been
around 3,000 and nearly 150 people have died every day.

While these are the official numbers, government
health workers say that the actual numbers may be three times of those
reported, according to Al Jazeera.

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The Sri Lankan government has so far rejected calls
for a lockdown to contain the surge in infections. But last week, the
government tightened restrictions and imposed a six-hour night curfew in shops,
restaurants and offices. The curfew came into effect from 10 pm local time on
Monday.

From Tuesday, weddings and parties have been
outlawed. Public gatherings are prohibited until September 1.