Shaman Who Touted 'Blessed' Water Cure For COVID-19 Dies Of Coronavirus Complications

KEY POINTS

Eliyantha White said he could end the pandemic by pouring the water into rivers
Earlier this month, the 48-year-old fell ill after testing positive for COVID-19
He was admitted to a hospital where his condition worsened

A high-profile Sri Lankan shaman, who claimed to have found the cure of COVID-19, died after contracting the disease.

Eliyantha White said he could end the pandemic by pouring pots of his "blessed" water into rivers. White had distributed the potion among sports stars and top politicians, saying he found the treatment in a dream, the BBC reported.

He said his efforts could not only end the pandemic in Sri Lanka, but also in the neighboring country India. His "blessed" water was publicly endorsed by Sri Lanka's former health minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi, who subsequently tested positive for the virus and spent two weeks in intensive care unit at a hospital, France 24 reported.

Earlier this month, the 48-year-old fell ill after testing positive to coronavirus and was admitted in a hospital where his condition worsened. He later died of the COVID-19 complications. It remains unclear if he had any other ailment.

"I’m deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Dr. Eliyantha White. My deepest condolences to his friends and family during this difficult time. His legacy will continue to live through all the lives, he touched and healed of various ailments," Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa, tweeted.

However, mainstream doctors had said White was a fraud. White had claimed to have used methods from the 3,000-year-old Indian medical tradition, but Ayurveda physicians rejected his claims.

In the last 24 hours, Sri Lanka reported nearly 1,621 COVID-19 case with the total number of confirmed cases in the nation crossing more than 500,000 whereas the total number of fatalities crossed 12,000.

As the country still fights the virus, Sri Lanka's health minister announced the national quarantine curfew to be extended until Oct. 1. Few weeks back, Sri Lanka opened its borders to India after a long-anticipated hiatus, allowing fully vaccinated travelers to enter the country with a negative RT-PCR report issued not before 72 hours of their arrival and undergo an on-arrival test at a certified hotel in Sri Lanka. If tested negative, the people would be allowed to move freely in the country.