Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena visited the Army Hospital this morning and was vaccinated against the coronavirus using the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVISHIELD vaccine.

However, speaking to the media, Tamil National Alliance Parliamentarian Selvarajah Gajendran stated that him and Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam have refused to be vaccinated against the virus at the Army Hospital.

The vaccination drive for the Members of Parliament commenced at around 08:00 a.m. this morning. State Ministers Vidura Wickremanayake, Jayantha Samaraweera, D. V. Chanaka, MPs S. B. Dissanayake, Weerasumana Weerasinghe, Gunathilaka Rajapaksha, Chandima Weerakkody, Ranjith Bandara and Kumara Welgama were vaccinated.

Also, MPs Rohini Kaviratne and Rohana Dissanayake have refused to receive the vaccine.

Meanwhile, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccination programme for 57,000 people in the Western Province alone was launched this morning. Acting Minister of Health Prof. Channa Jayasumana stated that the vaccine will be given to people between the ages of 30 and 60.

Prisons Commissioner Chandana Ekanayake stated that the second day of vaccination for prison officers commenced at the Prison Training School and that about 300 officers are expected to be vaccinated today as well. At present 4,717 COVID infections were reported in prisons.

Meanwhile, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine drive was also launched today at the Peliyagoda Fish Market and at the New Manning Mall. The Colombo Municipal Council stated that people in Dematagoda and Wanathamulla areas where the highest number of COVID infections were reported in recent days are still being vaccinated against the virus