Parliament sittings limited to 2 hours next week

• Media will be kept away as COVID-19 threat increases
• Coverage of sessions will be done remotely
• Measures taken due to heightened threat over COVID-19

Media personnel will be barred from covering Parliamentary sessions when the House meets next week due to the heightened risk of COVID-19 within the complex, official sources said.

Instead Parliament coverage will be telecast via a cable television channel, Facebook Live, YouTube and Parliament webcasting.

The Committee on Parliament Business which was met yesterday also decided to limit next week’s sittings to one day due to the COVID -19 pandemic. Parliament will convene on Tuesday (3 November) and will only sit for two hours, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.

Two regulations to the Medical Ordinance submitted by the Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi will be taken up for debate.

Only Members of Parliament (MPs), invited officials, security personnel and Parliament staff will be allowed to come into the complex on that day.

Meanwhile, the Committee on Parliamentary Business also decided yesterday to meet on 12 November and pass the Appropriation Bill presented by the Minister of Finance for service expenditure for the financial year 2020.

The Government will present its Budget to Parliament on 17 November.